Jennifer Craw and the Hallowed Halls 21
by jcwriter
Summary: Jennifer and the other Hogwarts' professors launch a term-long fundraiser in hopes of ending recent budgeting woes, but an unknown entity is able to compromise the school's security. Will the Headmaster be able to regain control? Or will Caprica?
1. Castle Bound

_A/N Happy Halloween, Everyone! After a hellacious summer and an even busier fall, I am back for some_ _recreational writing. I thought it appropriate to put up this first chapter on Halloween, not only because of the title, but because in many ways this book is about several different ghosts at Hogwarts. Because of that, you may notice that they never leave the boundaries of Hogwarts in this book (the boundaries now including the Muggle Farm as well) since ghosts cannot travel past that. This is a bit of a transitional book as Severus begins to truly settle into his role as Headmaster, beginning a tone change that will continue in later books should I return to the series. It is somewhat low in action but full of intrigues, character development, bits of humor, and foreshadowing. That said, I hope you like it. The series has really helped me hone some of my skills over time, and I'm glad to have written it, but hope some of you are enjoying it as much as I have bringing these characters to life in the Harry Potter world. For those of you who haven't read my JC books, it starts with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand, simplistic in comparison, and a quick read, but without which I wouldn't have gotten this far. To everyone else, thanks for coming back and all of the support! Talk to you again soon. ~ JCWriter. (edited 1-14)  
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Jennifer Craw and the Hallowed Halls

Chapter One

Castle Bound

Noah Dolan woke up to an empty Ravenclaw dormitory, frowning at the bright sunlight streaming into his room. It wasn't as if he had to sleep being a ghost, but over the last school year it had gotten to be routine. His girlfriend, Myrtle, thought it was a very nasty habit that took too much of his time, but she tolerated it because at night she preferred to haunt the pipes and bathrooms and Noah's aversion to water kept him well away from that sort of exercise.

He floated out of the bed and over to the window, glumly looking out at the lake. The water sparkled in the sunlight, making the reflection of Hogwarts appear more like a shining fairy castle than a school for wizardry. It was likely to be the first place his best friend would go to once he got back from summer vacation. How he hated the lake! How he had every reason!

He glanced at the calendar on the wall. It wasn't that long ago when time had no meaning for him. Years past without anyone even speaking to him or remembering that there was a ghost in the boathouse. Now the old boathouse was gone; replaced with something newer and admittedly more rain proof. He had no desire to go there anymore. All he wanted to do was go back to class, but the summer seemed endless and it wasn't even half over yet. Letting out a silent sigh, Noah gathered up his books and floated down to the library, so melancholy that at first he didn't realize he was being followed until he felt a presence at his side.

"Is that you, Myrtle?" Noah asked.

"Who else would it be?" her voice replied before she materialized beside him, holding onto his arm. "You aren't seeing anyone else, are you?" she asked seriously.

"You would know if I tried. You know everything that goes on around here these days," Noah said.

"That is true," Myrtle said with a rather disturbing smile that rather fascinated Noah. "In fact, I found out quite a bit on my rounds through the pipes last night. Aren't you curious?"

"Yes, a little," Noah admitted. "But I was on the way to the library to do my summer homework, you see."

"What is the point of that? You're a ghost, silly, you don't have to do homework," Myrtle tittered.

"I do if I want to do well in my studies next year…"

"Noah, you are dead. There's no going back; you either ascend, fade away, or go on forever just as you are," Myrtle reminded him.

"I know that, Myrtle," Noah said testily. "I'm doing it because I want to, just like you explore the pipes because you want to. It gets boring just hovering about day after day, lamenting over our deaths. I'm just trying to find something amusing to do just like you are."

"It really doesn't sound very amusing to me," Myrtle admitted.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't to you, we are complete opposites, after all. That's probably why we get on so well together. Opposites attract, you know," Noah explained.

"Do you really feel that way?" Myrtle asked, suddenly sounding shy.

"Of course. If I didn't, I wouldn't consider you my girlfriend," Noah said.

"But then why don't you want to kiss me?" Myrtle asked.

"Weren't you going to tell me something? About what you found out?" Noah prompted.

"Oh, that's right. You see, I was hanging out in Professor Andrew's shower last night…"

"Really, must you spy on him when he's in the shower like that?" Noah protested.

"You're jealous!" Myrtle accused him, and then laughed. Noah's blue skin looked strangely purple. "You don't have anything to worry about, Noah. At least, as long as he's still alive," she added wickedly.

"Well, I do put up with a lot, really, but having to deal with the fact that you are a voyeur is a bit much," Noah said.

"You aren't even letting me finish! I was just about to say that the Headmaster is on his way to Hogwarts," Myrtle declared. "In fact, he's due back this very morning."

"Really? But Leu just wrote me that they were in the Adriatic Sea!" Noah exclaimed, turning around and floating towards the front of the castle.

"Since when does the Headmaster ever finish a vacation?" Myrtle giggled at him. Noah distractedly went through a wall, forgetting that the books he was carrying wouldn't go through with him. Deciding there was no harm in leaving them there for a minute, he and Myrtle dematerialized and traveled to the front gates. A lot of other ghosts were lingering about the front of the castle as well, most of them hidden like they were. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was bored with summer break already, Noah thought to himself. All of them seemed to be waiting for something interesting to happen.

Andrew stepped out of the castle and walked to the gates just as Severus stepped through them, greeting his father with a thin smile.

"Good morning. How was your trip?" Andrew asked.

"Fair enough, although Quintin had the audacity to become more mobile while we were in Greece; he learned to walk on the boat, at that. How are things here? I have received no messages past Hermione's last report," Severus said as they walked towards the castle.

"It's been pretty quiet here," Andrew agreed.

"No sign of Bagman?" Severus asked.

"No, but nobody was really expecting a sign. In fact, Grandfather believes he's probably out of the country and it'll be years before we see him again. He's more concerned about those who might still be helping him at this point, so he, Harry and Rel have been busy trying to root out all of his supporters," Andrew explained. "It hasn't been easy, considering that some are missing part if not all of their memory of helping the Horsemen."

"What of Peter? I doubt that Ludo would have had his own son's memories erased," Severus pointed out.

"No, but Peter also didn't know that much about the Horsemen. He did know that his father was setting up meetings with former Equinox members, but not specifically who was meeting up with whom," Andrew said. "Apparently Bagman used advertisements in the Oracle and Daily Prophets to get information and relay orders. He would read the paper looking for certain key words and catch phrases and then using subtle hints during 'business' discussions, then Peter would put in advertisements according to his father's instructions. They have Alex scouring through papers now, although from what she's told me, most of it is old information now. Although it would lend to a case, there isn't enough to prosecute anyone since all it is are meeting dates with no clues as to what they discussed or why. She and Rel have been trying to follow up on the contacts, of course, but either they don't remember anything or they only know a very specific piece of the puzzle. No one seems to have any idea what the whole picture looks like."

"No one except Bagman," Severus brooded.

"Alex is doing what she can to put it together, but it could take years to sort it all out, even with her talents," Andrew said. "By the way, she has been asking about when you were due back. I think she's looking for your input as far as them getting a house."

"I'm sure she doesn't want input so much as a cosigner. I rather got the impression from what Sirius has told me that the 'fixing up' of that 'fixer-upper' the two of them are looking at will probably cost more than the house itself, which is why they don't want to be strapped for funds on the initial purchase," Severus said.

"Sounds as if she was intentionally going out of her way to find a property in bad shape, not that I'd put it past her," Andrew chuckled.

"I wondered about that as well. It is obvious that part of the reason they want to get their own house this summer is to try and bandage what's left of their marriage. Perhaps the extra elbow grease they'll need to get this house of theirs livable is a conscious attempt at forcing each other to work towards a common goal," Severus mused.

"That said, I'm still surprised they'd need a cosigner as much as they've saved over the years," Andrew said.

"From what Sirius has told me, there was a bit of land involved as well, which is part of the expense," Severus said.

"Where is it?" Andrew asked.

"Not certain, we didn't talk much past his initial warning. I only dropped in to get the final repair bills on the Popcorn Farm so that I could account for them in the budget this year," Severus explained, glancing with a frown at the scroll he was still carrying.

"That reminds me, I sent the repairs for the greenhouse to your study as well," Andrew said. "Although from what Taylor told me, the co-op is thinking of suing Longbottom to pay for that one, since he did admit his part in that badgimera business in open court."

"Perish the thought that he might be held accountable for his actions," Severus said acidly. "Anything else?"

"No, not really. John Carnegie says he'll be back in a week. He wants to make sure he has enough time to finish repairing the greenhouse irrigation system so that they'll be finished in time for the new school year. You won't be alone for long," Andrew said.

"Not that he's ever in the way, but I actually appreciate what little time I get alone, thank you, especially considering the repairs and other improvements I want to get done before the start of the year. I will be quite busy," Severus said.

"The new secret passage?" Andrew ventured.

"Among other things, yes," Severus said.

"Good, because that old one to Honeydukes has been getting a lot of wear and tear in recent years," Andrew chuckled. "I had better finish packing. I still have quite a few books to pack before the lease runs out of the end of the month."

"Fine, send an Owl once you've moved back into our house. You have a key still, correct?"

"Yes, all covered," Andrew said, showing the key to him as proof. "See you in a few weeks."

"Goodbye. See that your mother stays out of trouble," Severus said. Laughing that one off, Andrew strode out of the castle while Severus turned towards the stairwell.

Noah followed curiously as the Headmaster took his time walking up the stairs. Severus paused now and again pausing as if listening to something, despite the fact that the most of the paintings had fallen asleep from sheer boredom. As he got to the eighth floor, he heard soft singing from several floor below… Peeves, it seemed, who was half humming, half mumbling a nonsensical tune while reciting words from "tack" to "lack" to "hack", apparently in the middle of trying to come up with a new rhyme to harass his best friend with. Snorting softly, Severus continued up, nodding to a ghost that was slowly hovering down the stairs in the other direction.

"Good morning, Headmaster. Good day for a ride, isn't it?" Sir Nicholas said.

"I suppose it would be. All's well, I take it?" Severus said.

"That'll depend on whether they finally let me join the hunt this year," Sir Nicholas decided, before floating further down the stairwell.

Severus rolled his eyes, wondering if he was going to have to Owl for Zacchius Black early that year as he climbed up to the fifteenth floor and into the corridor that lead to his study. The dragon gargoyle brought its head back out from under its wing as if waking from a nap, striking its normal pose as Severus got closer.

"Asp Sword," he said, opening up the passage to the spiral stair. He stood there thoughtfully for a moment. "Asp Sword replace with: 'These are the times that try men's souls, so make sure you have a second pair of shoes,'" he said. The gargoyle seemed to almost blink at that, but Severus didn't give it a second thought, wandering up the spiral stairs and opening the doors wide, unlatching the Doorlift on his way in and opening the shades over the windows in the observatory with the flick of a wand.

"Welcome back, Headmaster," the portrait of Dippet said cordially.

"Armando," Severus acknowledged. He opened his appointment diary, unsurprised that it was empty until a week and a half later when Jennifer had an appointment for dinner. On the other side of the table, stacks of post were there to be gone through as well as several scrolls and folders left by Hermione for him to check. He glanced over at the folders and decided they were the lesser of the two evils, pulling one of them to the center of his desk before stepping in his sitting room.

Half of his sitting room looked quite cluttered after he had tried to pile shelves and bookshelves practically one on top of each other at some point during the year before, while the other half of the room was starkly bare and empty. Frowning as he tossed his cloak on the hook, he then went into the Headmaster's Study, surveying the room critically before his eyes fell on another starkly bare area.

"I believe I want to start by recalibrating the rooms in the castle first. It'd be pointless for me to try unpacking anything until I get that task done," Severus decided, going through the drawer and pulling out the map thoughtfully. "Any suggestions on where a vacant room is that I might borrow?"

"Seventh floor near the Astrology Tower?" Armando suggested.

"Isn't that Lady Charlotte's room? I'd rather it be a room that isn't ghost inhabited, actually," Severus said.

"Ah, that would narrow it down. Storage room on the fourth floor?"

"No, that room doesn't have any windows," Severus mused, folding the map around a different way. "I suppose I'll take a walk and look around. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, striding out the door with the map still in hand.

"You don't suppose he'd want to take my bathroom?" Myrtle's voice whispered worriedly.

"No, I'm sure not. He did say he wanted something uninhabited," Noah's voice whispered back.

"Oh, well that's silly," Myrtle said with a soft giggle. "Practically every room in the castle is inhabited by a ghost at some point or another."

"I think he means one that no one has died in or is attached to," Noah explained.

"Isn't there something else you two ought to be doing besides spying on the Headmaster?" asked the voice of Icarus Ravenclaw.

"No, of course not," Myrtle giggled.

"I'd better go finish my summer homework," Noah decided quickly, sinking through the floor.

"But we're dead! It doesn't matter what we do!" Myrtle shouted after him, but he had already descended several floors down.

"Then it shouldn't matter if he wants to do his homework," Icarus reasoned.

"But that means he wants to do homework instead of spend time with me!" Myrtle whined and then began to bawl, fading out in the other direction.

"I suppose that would be depressing, if I was in the mood to get depressed," Icarus decided, wondering why he wasn't. Thinking it over, he dropped through the floor himself so he could see what Severus was up to.

Severus had made his way to Andrew's office, critically inspecting the large model of Hogwarts and examining different rooms. He spotted a corner room near the Ravenclaw Tower that interested him, peering inside the model thoughtfully before double-checking it on the map. He then turned across the hall and up the stairs, taking the long way so that he could study where the secret passages and other security measures were in the area.

He came to a door with simple lock and opened it, gazing in. A few desk chairs, a desk, and a sofa chair had been placed inside along with a bin full of blue quilted comforters, revealing that the room was being used as overflow from the Ravenclaw Tower's storage room. He made his way to the other end of the room, clearing the dust with his wand and murmuring several charms to dispel the locks on the heavy shutters. He opened them to reveal large glass doors leading to an open balcony, framed in stained glass that depicted a rainbow over the lake. Opening a second door revealed the actual Ravenclaw storeroom, and through the storeroom was a third room. Because of the way they opened into one another, Severus deduced that at one time it had been used as living quarters.

He went back into the first room and inspected the three paintings that were hanging inside. One of them was Dame Rachel, apparently painted when she was much younger than the one in the library. The second one was of the castle itself, but obviously one several centuries old considering that several wings were missing and there was no Quidditch Pitch. Then he gazed at the last painting, and decided to take it off the wall for a closer look. It was the portrait of Icarus Ravenclaw's family, which had been one of the first that had been infected the year the Leanne had attacked the paintings.

"Are you going to be moving that?" a voice asked from all around him. Severus wasn't the least bit surprised that his actions had drawn the ghost's interest, even if he hadn't been aware that Icarus had already been following him.

"Would it bother you if I did?" Severus asked without turning around, dusting the frame carefully.

"I suppose it would depend on where you were thinking of putting it," Ick said.

"I was thinking of moving the Dame Rachel portrait to one of the Ravenclaw dorm rooms and this one to the main stairwell," Severus replied.

"I wouldn't mind that," Icarus admitted.

"Do you know if any ghosts are attached to this room?" Severus asked, glancing over to where Icarus had materialized.

"I suppose it depends on what you mean by that," Icarus said. "This was my nursery when I was a child, and my children's nursery after that."

"Oh, these were your rooms?" Severus asked with interest.

"Not exactly, this tower was a part of the ladies quarter. These were once Dame Rachel's rooms, and they were also once Cynuise's rooms. My rooms were just up from the dungeons near the back stair… one of the rooms you had to fill in to secure the lab. That isn't important, really. It did have to be done. But to answer your true question, no one has died in these rooms. If it's haunted by anything, it is fond memories, perhaps laced with a few old regrets," Icarus said. "Pity that it's just a store room now. It really did make a fine nursery, and it had been intended as one from the very beginning of the castle's history. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some hidden protections on it that might mother might have had woven in from the start."

Severus pondered that a moment.

"Perhaps I had better go to the library to double check on those then, thank you," Severus said distractedly, taking the painting with him. It wasn't until he had reached the stairwell that it occurred to him how unusually sane Icarus had been for that time of year. Perhaps it was because he guessed why Severus wanted use of the room, he mused, glancing over the portrait thoughtfully. Frowning, he glanced over at the wall to see what portraits were awake.

"Filius, could you send word to the Pythers to see if one of them would be interested in cleaning some paintings over the summer? At least three but probably several more," Severus said.

"Right away, Severus," Filius said cheerfully. Severus wandered down another flight, finally finding a likely spot to put the painting at and wrote himself a quick notation on what floor it was on before continuing downstairs towards the library.

Noah looked up curiously from his books as the Headmaster strode into the library, the lights growing brighter as he passed through and into the back room. It was only a few minutes later that Severus came back out with two large tomes under his arm, but his gait was slower and he took the time to glance around. That was when he noticed the books and papers left out on one of the tables without an apparent owner. He leaned over, putting an arm directly through where Noah was sitting as he picked up a page and glanced at it, setting it back down again when he realized what it was and whose it must belong to.

"I would review your potion book's chapter on basic balms, if I were you. That mistake in your formula on line fourteen will likely come back to haunt you," Severus advised, striding back out the door. Sheepishly, Noah materialized long enough turn the book back a few pages and get a fresh sheet of paper, fading out again not long after he began to rewrite his homework.

* * *

><p>It was a week later that Noah looked up from the desk; his homework long finished but unable to think of anything better to do but sit there. He had heard an odd sound… not humming, exactly, but it did sound like a tune… coming from the hallway. He peered outside, and although he didn't see anyone, he realized the sounds were as if someone was making trumpet noises without an instrument. The sound faded for a while, but then Noah heard an odd, muffled humming noise.<p>

A few minutes passed, and Mr. Carnegie appeared out of the side corridor leading to the kitchens with a roll in his mouth. The caretaker was carrying a toolbox in one gloved hand and several pieces of pipe over the shoulder. Noah followed close behind as Carnegie walked towards the back grounds, skirting the strangely disturbed turf around the Elf Willow and over to the main greenhouse.

The framework had been repaired or replaced, although the only glass that had been replaces so far was on the roof. The small wooden classroom building adjacent to the greenhouse had a fresh coat of paint on the exterior, but when Noah stuck his head in, he saw that the interior was empty except for a shelf of potted seedlings and new wood flooring with drains set into it. In the greenhouse proper there was no floor at all; large ditches crisscrossed the area. In the center of the building hovered Myrtle, inspecting the work as if she were personally supervising the entire operation.

"Are there any more clogged pipes, Mr. Carnegie?" Myrtle asked wistfully when she saw John put down the pipes and grab the sandwich out of his mouth.

"Thank you, no, Miss Myrtle, I'm through with that part entirely. Perhaps you can come back later to make sure I've all the joints and elbows sealed once I've turned the water on," John suggested.

"Oh, I'll do anything to help you, Mr. Carnegie," Myrtle said with such a lilt in her voice that Noah rolled his eyes. Just then, John turned around, and Noah realized that he had materialized without meaning to.

"Ah, Mr. Noah. Looking for your girlfriend, I'm sure… I'll need to be setting these irrigation pipes and having my lunch, so feel free t' run along for now, Miss Myrtle," Carnegie said.

"All right, I'll be back later then," Myrtle promised, joining Noah who then floated back inside. "Have you finally finished your homework?"

"Yes, I finished it a little while ago. Myrtle, you do know he was just being nice, right? He doesn't really want your help, you know," Noah said.

"What? Oh, you're just being jealous!" Myrtle scolded him.

"No, I'm not, and there really isn't anything to be jealous about, is there?" Noah said. "After all, just as you said about Andrew, he's alive and you're not."

"Well, he's also good looking and not blue in the face," Myrtle said primly.

"If you're trying to get me to insult you back, Myrtle, I won't," Noah said firmly.

"How dare you suggest that I was trying to insult you! Or is it that am I not good enough to insult? Perhaps you simply don't care enough about me to insult me? But I thought you liked me!" Myrtle wailed.

"What? I don't see what that has to do with anything, it's just not nice," Noah said.

"I see how it is! You're just humoring me, which means you don't like me at all! Fine, be that way. I'm going back to my bathroom and I'm not coming back out again until you know how to show that you care!" she screamed and went moaning back to her bathroom.

"If you expect me to come after you, you've got another thing coming! There's too much water in there!" Noah shouted.

He floated aimlessly for a day or two, contemplating the situation but making sure to stay away from the hallway near the girls bathroom that Myrtle had succeeded in flooding. Finally he wandered into the Great Hall, floated over to the Ravenclaw table, and sat down.

Every day or two Carnegie would come through the hall to inspect the fireplaces, tables, floors, or other some other random detail of the room. Sometimes he noticed the ghost sitting there but never said a word, although he did hum or whistle at times as he worked. One day Sirius Black came through the room; apparently thinking that cutting through the Great Hall would save him time. After that, it grew quiet again and stayed that way until the day that Carnegie came through with a bucket and mop, unusually glum and not humming much of anything.

It was on that very same day that the Headmaster himself decided to peer inside the room, although he didn't seem to be just passing through or inspecting anything. Instead, he looked straight over at Noah, who simply folded his hands and sat up straight.

"Mr. Dolan, why are you sitting in the Great Hall?" Severus asked flatly.

"I'm waiting for school to start, sir," Noah said evenly.

"It is still July," Severus said with exasperation. "We still have nearly three weeks before the regular staff shows up, let alone students. Are you going to sit there the entire time?"

"It isn't that long to me," Noah said defensively. "It's not like I'm alive or anything. Besides, I want to talk to Leu."

"Why don't you write him a letter?" Severus suggested.

"The dead aren't supposed to write letters to people. It makes them turn crackers," Noah explained.

"Yes, well, I seriously doubt Llewellyn would think much of it, rules or no rules. Perhaps you could tell me what you need to speak with him about," Severus said.

"Oh. Girls," Noah admitted.

"If that's the case, I rather think you're going to the wrong place for advice on that topic, considering Llewellyn probably knows less about that subject than you do. Does this have something to do with why Myrtle is flooding my halls?" Severus asked.

"She's angry at me because I wouldn't insult her," Noah said gloomily. Severus stared at him. "She's been bothering Professor Andrew and Mr. Carnegie to try to get me jealous lately, and when I didn't react the way she wanted, she insulted me to try to pick a fight. And when I wouldn't insult her back, she got angry with me and said I didn't care enough to insult her. But I think if I'd have insulted her, she would have been even angrier."

"Come to think of it, that does sound like typical girl behavior," Severus decided.

"If that's typical, I rather don't think I'll ever understand women," Noah said.

"Yes, well, that's neither here nor there. What I really want is for Myrtle to stop flooding the corridors and you to stop lurking about the Great Hall. What she means is she wants attention and doesn't feel like you were giving her enough of it. So apologize for that and go find somewhere more productive to haunt," Severus said.

"I'm not going over there. There's too much water! She's going to have to come out first. If it troubles you that I'm here, I'll not materialize any more," Noah decided and faded out. Severus frowned and stood there thoughtfully before finally striding down the hallway towards the girls' bathroom.

Several charmed mops were busy trying to keep one step ahead of the water, while John stood in the doorway after taking the entire door itself off. He had a wand in hand, but as Severus peered in, it was obvious that all the faucets were running.

"Did you try the valve for this wing?" Severus asked.

"Aye, and the main valve as well. She turns them on as fast as I can turn them off," John said. "Any luck with the ghost lad?"

"He isn't likely to cooperate when she's playing with the water, is he? She'll have to calm down first," Severus said.

"Perhaps I should be building an ark, then?" John suggested.

"Why don't you see if you can get a hold of Zacchius Black?" Severus advised.

"Yes, Professor Snape, I'll be right off. He's probably already on standby, really, since we normally send him an Owl by this time o' year," John said. "Although 'tis normally for the Professor."

"I don't know what is going on with that either, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. Where is Sirius?" Severus asked.

"Down with the dwarves, I believe, although I think he brought that special glass with him for the greenhouses as well," John said.

"Good, I wanted to double check on that," Severus said.

"Also Mr. Pyther has arrived to clean the paintings. I believe he chose t' start with the ones in the stairwell first," John said.

"Thank you, I'll check on him later," Severus decided then wandered down the back hall.

It was faster to turn past the kitchens and slip into the secret passages that connected to the ones surrounding the Slytherin rooms; a strange collage of memories spanning several generations entered his mind as he wandered through.

The passages on the lower levels had changed a great deal since he was in school. Some of them had changed when Dumbledore streamlined the passages, some after the flooding caused by Ciardoth, some from having to rebuild the lab, and some were improvements he himself had put in over the years. Because of all of those changes, several of the passages that led out of the castle (such as the one beneath the old willow) had long been cut off or sealed over time. That had added to the wear and tear on the tunnel behind the One Eyed Witch… not to mention to occasional joking remarks by Mr. Flume and his daughter that their basement was quickly turning into the resemblance of a train station. Yes, well, not that Severus wanted to encourage the sort of student behavior that prompted such remarks, but he himself knew he was guilty of looking the other way on occasion when a student had a legitimate reason for going to town; Dirk Atchison quickly came to the forefront of his mind.

That acknowledged, Severus still didn't feel comfortable with how few emergency exits there were leading out of the school. He decided that it was high time he added a couple of new ones: a short passage from behind a painted wall panel near the Muggle Studies rooms that lead to the Popcorn Farm across the tracks, and a much longer one starting from the dead-end passage that used to lead to the Potion Master office to the cold cellar below Willowby's Wands and Weeds.

Not only would it make life easier for the school any time that Jennifer ran out of something and needed a last minute run for supplies, but Severus also knew that Corey would be able to note every person that happened to discover that route to town and how frequently they were using it. At the same time, nobody would question a large amount of people coming in and out of that shop from the school any more than they would question any of them coming out of Honeydukes. Corey quickly agreed to the proposal, although it had prompted him to make some security changes of his own to his basement and regular stockrooms. They began work on the project almost immediately after the students went home, knowing it would be better to get the school side of the tunnel completely finished before school began again in the fall. The one to the Popcorn Farm was already well on pace to being done before then, being the shorter route and one that needed no more security added than what was already in place. The repairs to the Honeydukes tunnel were nearly completed; but the new one to Corey's was bound to take time, especially considering the specifics that Severus had asked for in security wards and semantics.

"Whoever heard of adding windows to an underground secret passage?" one of the dwarves complained just after Severus hung the poker on the wall and pushed back the heavy brick door leading into the new passageway. "Ventilation I can understand… but windows?"

"Place them fifteen to twenty feet apart, so that you can easily see the next window while standing underneath one and place them all along the length of the tunnel," Sirius said.

"I trust that means you found a way to add them without compromising security?" Severus asked, having silently come up behind them. But Sirius had felt a prickle on his neck and had long gotten used to his brother-in-law's tendency to slink up on people that way.

"Security windows," Sirius said, picking up one of the small rectangular frames and knocking on the glass. "They can be opened, although really any breeze would be through the ventilation system rather than where the light is coming from, and the glass is made from the exact same glass I ordered for the greenhouse. It's the strongest I can find, practically liquid metal. Shatter proof, magic proof, blast proof, really… I doubt a crater would scratch it."

"Even if one of Jennifer's comets were aimed directly at them?" Severus challenged him.

"Well, no, probably not, but if she was attacking the castle, I think you would have bigger problems," Sirius said with a chuckle.

"In more ways than one, yes," Severus agreed, then nodded at the window and handed it to the foreman. "Put them in, please."

"I hope it helps her feel more comfortable with using it," Sirius said as they stepped away.

"Knowing Jennifer, she will not comment about the fact that they are there, but will be very quick to comment about how small they are," Severus said.

"I believe you," Sirius grinned. "Do you want to see what I put in for the greenhouse?"

"Yes, but let's drop by my study first. I found the list of charms and the blueprints of that room I told you about," Severus explained.

"I take it that means what was originally put in for security isn't paranoid enough to suit you," Sirius taunted. "Have you told Jennifer about it yet?"

"No, I thought I'd surprise her on this one," Severus admitted.

"Good, perhaps that'll distract her away from the one her father is keeping from her,"

"Oh?"

"Yes, a property Alexandria and I happened to run into when we were going through magical house listings," Sirius said, flipping through his folder before finally finding a page and taking it out for Severus to inspect. He glanced at it only a second before looking back up at Sirius in surprise.

"This is where the old Craw manor used to sit, isn't it?" Severus said.

"Apparently Nelson owned it," Sirius said, watching his expression change. "He bought it from Amadeus, who inherited it from Lucius."

"Who had it since the Craws fled," Severus said with a grim nod.

"Alexandria was pretty set on buying it, actually. There's nothing left of the house except for part of the basement and the foundation, but she used her connections to get all the original plans and permits for the building in hopes of rebuilding it…"

"Don't tell me this is what Andrew was trying to warn me about? Although I understand Alex's desire in this, even assuming they have saved enough funds to even start a project of this size, there is no way she could have the time involved for such an undertaking, not to mention needing a place to stay in the interim since she already decided to move them out…"

"I know, Severus, I said the exact same thing to her myself and suggested she talk to her grandfather about it. Originally, she wanted to keep it a secret from both Thomas and Jennifer."

"It is impossible to keep a secret from Thomas Craw about anything, especially something of this magnitude," Severus snorted. "What were his thoughts on this?"

"He bought the lot immediately," Sirius said. "But he himself admits it will take a full family effort to rebuild it… well… almost a full family effort," he added with amusement.

"I see," Severus said expressionlessly, turning into his office without any other comment. He did pause long enough to check his appointment book, unsurprised when he found an entry for "lunch with Thomas" the day before Jennifer was due back. Turning it to the current page, he glanced at a notation in his own handwriting before finding the folder they had gone in there to fetch and handed it to Sirius. "You should be able to find everything in there, but if you need more specifics on the castle plans feel free to ask for more. I have an appointment for lunch but afterwards I'll come down to the greenhouses."

"In that case, I'll go raid the kitchen and look these over while I'm eating. I'd rather not be stuck in this castle all summer if I can help it," Sirius said.

"Yes, I'd rather you weren't either," Severus agreed, straightening his desk. Sirius simply smirked at him before heading out through the Doorlift.


	2. Appointments and Other Summer Events

Chapter Two

Appointments and Other Summer Events

Not long after Sirius left, Ginger stepped in from the lift. She smiled when she saw the doors were open, knocking gently with a knuckle when she noticed that Severus was reading.

"Come in. It isn't as if you weren't expected, is it?" Severus said, putting away the last of his paperwork and inspecting the sandwich tray. "Even the House Elves saw you coming. How anyone could eat such strange conglomerations in sandwiches, I have no idea."

"Better than liverwurst and eels on toast…"

"At least it's somewhat more traditional than your crisp sandwiches. Pumpkin butter and pickles do not belong on the same sandwich together. Are you certain you're not expecting?" Severus asked with disgust, watching as she got her plate.

"No, I'm not," Ginger said a sigh as she sat down. "Rel says he's not ready."

"I see," Severus said expressionlessly, getting his own plate and settling in one of the other chairs. "So what did you want to talk about this month?" he asked, and then noticed the lingering dark expression on her face. "Or have we already stumbled on the topic of conversation?"

"Afraid so," Ginger admitted. "In fact, I feel a bit disadvantaged again. He's really defensive on the topic, to the point that he seems to get defensive even if I have a passing thought about it."

"If he's picking it up, that is your own fault. I didn't teach you Occlumancy for you not to use it. Why don't you put that subject in your mental box for now?" Severus suggested.

"I guess because I believe there's more to this than him not being ready," Ginger said. "I think… well, I think he's quite terrified of the idea, actually."

"Is it really all that surprising?" Severus asked evenly. "Considering his work, not to mention how rough his later childhood was? I'd rather think that such a reaction would be understandable."

"Well, yes, of course it is, but at the same time it's contradictory as well. Even when we had just started dating, he'd mentioned that he'd like to have a child someday… always stressing the 'a' part," Ginger explained. "We discussed it until just after we got married, with the condition that it'd happen once we were settled somewhere permanent. But now that we are somewhere more permanent, have a nice house to come home to and room to spare, he doesn't want it brought up."

"So you mean that now that there are no barriers in the way, he seems to be missing those barriers," Severus mused.

"Yes well, that's Rel, for you," Ginger said with resignation. "The trouble is that I'm not sure time will really cure it."

"Unlikely at best," Severus agreed, pondering the problem. "But perhaps a reminder of why he wanted a child in the first place might."

"He has quite a number of reasons," Ginger said carefully. "Although the one that means the most to him doesn't have much to do with me, really."

"It has more to do with you than you might realize, although that is something you need to work out for yourself," Severus decided. "I think I'll see if Corey is willing to ask Aurelius to take Charles the Third to Ollivander's for his wand. And if a certain teakwood wand happens to be sitting out on that counter with all the hopeful students wandering about the place looking for wands, he may find himself rethinking his current position."

"That is a rather wicked plan, isn't it?" Ginger said, shaking her head but unable to keep a smile from creeping across her face.

"Turn about is fair play, after all. The two of them are always using our thoughts against us at inopportune times; we have the right to do the same to level the playing field if for no other reason. He has, after all, told me more than once that one of the reasons he decided to be with you was because he wanted a partner as well as a wife, but to be both, you must not let his talents get in the way," Severus reminded her firmly.

"Easier said than done at times," Ginger admitted.

"No one knows that more than I. Now, lock that part of our conversation away so I can think up something trivial and dull to talk about in case he pries," Severus suggested.

"Did you hear that Thomas bought the old Craw property back?" Ginger said.

"Yes, well, how about we talk about something that I am not inevitably going to be asked to hide?" Severus asked dryly, but then listened intently as Ginger filled him in on details he had yet to hear about.

* * *

><p>Jennifer hummed cheerfully as she stepped into the school, striding towards the stairs until she had to carefully step over Zacchius, who had at some point fallen asleep in the corridor. Wondering which ghost had been keeping him up this time, Jennifer continued on to find the stairs waiting and positioned to lead her straight to the Headmaster's Study. She paused halfway, a bit curious about one of the paintings she saw there, but then continued on up, picking up the pace the closer she got to the top. As usual, the way was open to her; no doubt she was expected. Even so, Descartes called out a loud warning of her approach from the rail of the observatory.<p>

"Quiet, Descartes," Severus said, then glanced up with a feigned look of surprise. "Oh, are you back already?"

"I couldn't in good conscience leave you in this dull castle all by yourself for too long," Jennifer tsked at him, sitting down. "You're not going to smoke that, are you?"

"I was just holding it in my mouth," Severus said defensively, although Jennifer noticed the tobacco had turned to ash when he set it aside. "How was your trip? Everyone behaved, I hope?"

"Yes, of course. Lucky was a great help keeping Quintin from getting into too much trouble on the boat. I am going to miss her when she goes off to school!" Jennifer admitted with a frown.

"She'll be across town, not across countries. You'd think she was going halfway around the world from how you're reacting," Severus chided her.

"I know, but I still don't completely understand why she doesn't want to stay at the house when it's obvious she's concerned about money. Perhaps we ought to let her into her vault early, Severus."

"She'll appreciate that vault all the more when it has seven more years of interest in it," Severus said unconcernedly. "She knows she can come to us if she gets stuck, Jennifer, but she's always preferred her freedom."

"Yes, I know," Jennifer sighed.

"And how was Llewellyn?"

"Oh, same as always, I suppose. Always within the rules to the letter, and still bringing up all sorts of odd things he deems precious from the bottom of the ocean," Jennifer said. "In some ways he's doing better on the surface, Severus. But a large part of him is still determined to show his own worth. He doesn't see how just being alive and doing his best is worth anything."

"He's still young. In a year or two when he starts questioning himself naturally, we'll have opportunities to show him that. Right now he is simply trying to fit in, both with his friends and his new family," Severus explained.

"That reminds me, I need to drop a letter off with Noah before I head back. Rather funny how close the two of them have gotten, isn't it?" Jennifer commented.

"Yes, and it has actually caused headaches for me this summer. Myrtle seems to have taken offense to the fact that Noah is more interested in Leu and school and has been throwing as bad of a tantrum as I've seen in years," Severus complained.

"Oh, dear. Ghost drama," Jennifer chuckled.

"If you saw how much water John and I have been dealing with, you wouldn't think it was so amusing," Severus muttered in annoyance. "Noah at least will be easy to find, since he's been in the Great Hall sitting at the Ravenclaw table for days now."

"Really?" Jennifer said with a frown.

"Yes, he's been there since he and Myrtle had their little tiff, actually, waiting for school to start," Severus said.

"Has Zack talked to him as well?" Jennifer asked.

"I doubt he's had the time considering the situation with Myrtle. But Noah isn't causing any sort of trouble in there, that's simply where he is at the moment. It isn't all that unusual ghost behavior to linger in a room for days on end," Severus shrugged.

"Well, true, but Noah is more than just a ghost, Severus. He's also a student," Jennifer reminded him.

"I have no problem with him taking classes if he likes, Jennifer, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a student. He is simply going through the motions…"

"Is Ick only going through the motions of being a professor as well?" Jennifer challenged him.

"That is entirely different," Severus stated defensively.

"No, it isn't any different at all. If you had Noah sit in a regular classroom with you, I think you'd change your mind rather quickly," Jennifer argued. "There may be times when we have had to make some exceptions to his learning since he can't always do everything the other students can do, but other than that, in class he behaves like any other student. He has his strong areas and weak areas, things that interest him and bore him, even though he's attentive enough that he'll do the work when he needs to… a typical Ravenclaw in that respect. He struggles with Transfiguration nearly as badly as Lucky did, but Leu has been helping him keep up on it. His marks aren't the best in Defense, but I think that has to do with the fact he isn't too keen on Ace rather than not taking to it. And although he had a great deal of trouble with Charms at the first of the year, once Hermione was finally able to train him to a wand, it ended up being his best class by the end of the term."

"Noah can use a wand?" Severus asked, sounding more stunned than he had intended.

"He most certainly can," Jennifer said. "And although he was never officially Sorted, Noah has been taking all of his classes with Ravenclaw, which falls under my jurisdiction… and as his advisor, I am quite concerned now that his needs aren't being met while he is summering here."

"Summering here? Jennifer, he's dead. He's spending an eternity here…"

"But that is no excuse for us to shirk off our duties as educators. This is Hogwarts, and we don't leave students behind," Jennifer said firmly. "I am going to go down and talk with my student now."

Severus propped his head in his hand as he watched her stride out with her nose up. Regardless of how he felt about the issue, it was quite obvious that he would be fighting a losing battle.

* * *

><p>Jennifer walked in to what appeared to be an empty Great Hall, but as she stood and searched the Ravenclaw tables, a small figure slowly faded into view. Smiling, Jennifer walked over.<p>

"Good evening, Noah! I have a letter from Leu for you," Jennifer said warmly.

"Really? Thank you!" Noah exclaimed eagerly, taking it.

"Do you have a footlocker to put it in when you're done reading it?" she asked.

"There's a footlocker next to the spare bed in Llewellyn's dorm room. Perhaps it would be all right if I used that?" Noah suggested hopefully.

"Of course, Noah. That bed was put in there for you, after all," Jennifer said. "Do you have the books you need to finish your summer homework?"

"Yes, Professor, I borrowed them from the library. I'm all done already," Noah explained.

"I'm sure that'll be fine, although I do believe those are probably older versions. I think it'd be better if I get you your own set of books when I take Leu to get his," Jennifer decided. "It was all well and fine you sharing last year, but since it's obvious that your are serious about continuing your education, you really ought to have your own."

"Really?" Noah said in surprise.

"Of course, really! And I'd rather you find something better to do than sit in this room and wait until then. Mr. Carnegie has a good deal of work to do in here, after all," Jennifer reminded him.

"I won't be in anyone's way," Noah protested. "I get so bored sitting in the dorm rooms, Professor."

"Then I expect I'll have Leu come along when I drop your books off so you can have a quick visit. In the meantime, perhaps you ought to see if you can cheer Myrtle up a bit," Jennifer suggested. "I know it would make things a lot easier on the Headmaster and Mr. Carnegie if you did."

"I'm not passing over that pond she's got around her bathroom. Besides, the only thing that would really cheer her up is something I am not prepared to do," Noah said stubbornly, folding his arms.

"Actually, I believe most of the water has been cleaned up. And in either case, she's only behaving this way because she's jealous of how much time you spend thinking about school and wants you to pay more attention to her," Jennifer explained. "She's angry because she cares."

"If so, she has a funny way of showing it," Noah said sullenly.

Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically and led him into the hallway where an army of mops had been working frantically to keep any water from seeping outside the bathroom door.

"Myrtle, I brought someone to see you," Jennifer called out. Zack, still dozing down the corridor, suddenly woke up and looked up at her as if not quite understanding before finally getting up.

"Go away! I don't want to see anyone!" Myrtle screeched.

"It's me, Myrtle," Noah said.

"Oh, fade off!"

"I will, but not until I have my say. I know you're not happy about me wanting to go to school, and I know you don't understand it. To you, school was an awful place, but I never had the chance to find out what it was like for me. Besides, I don't get all sore when you decide to spend a few months exploring the pipes without talking to me, so it's not fair you're getting this way just because I want to take classes. There's no reason for you to get all jealous!" Noah shouted.

"I'm not jealous! I just think you spend too much of your time playing up to those silly mortals!" she screeched back.

"So this is about Leu, is it? Well, it's true, Leu is my best mate and all of that, but I don't see how that'd bother you, being my best girl, it's an entirely different thing all together," Noah said.

"You like spending all your time with him," she sniffled.

"Well, I'd be spending summer with you, if you wouldn't keep trying to drown me. Professor Craw is going to get my books and things for next year, and I would like to see Leu for a day to get caught up, but the rest of the summer is yours… on the condition that you stop hanging out in Mr. Carnegie and Professor Andrew's rooms waiting for them to shower," Noah said. Jennifer blinked at that.

"So you are jealous?" Myrtle asked.

"I'm no more jealous of them than you should be of Leu. And if you want my attention, there are better ways of going about it. Now how about you stop moping about so we can take a walk up to the belfry or go the Memoritorium to visit some of the others or something?" Noah suggested.

"I thought I heard the Fifth Floor Phantom tuning the organ earlier," Zack chimed in.

"There you are, maybe we can go up there and you can entice him into playing it, Myrtle. You're better at talking him into it than me; I think he likes your feminine wiles."

"Do you think so?" Myrtle said, sounding much calmer. Finally she floated through the door, materializing and making a play as if trying to clear her eyes under her glasses. "Are you sure I even have any feminine wiles?"

"Boy, am I sure," Noah said dryly. "Come on, let's go. Maybe it'll give Doctor Zack a chance to get some rest, too. You know how mortals can get."

"Oh, yes, they do have so many problems, don't they?" Myrtle said, feeling much better about that. "I hope I didn't cause you any trouble, Doctor Zack."

"I'm just here to help," Zack said with a smile, but as they floated towards the front stairs, the look turned to one of complete exasperation. "Three days of work and somehow you manage to diffuse the situation in minutes," Zack grumbled, but Jennifer didn't miss the relief behind it.

"Do give yourself some credit, Zack. I notice that there's no water on the floor and they've had time to dry. You must have been getting through to her," Jennifer said.

"She does it for attention. She doesn't need to do it any more when she has it from someone. All of her ghostly angst is tied up on how low her self esteem was at the time she died," Zack explained. Jennifer nodded.

"In that, I think Noah has been good for her over the years," Jennifer decided.

"How did you get Noah to come over? Under the circumstances, I would have thought he'd have been terrified that he was going to get flooded," Zack asked with a chuckle.

"Student psychology," Jennifer said calmly, Zack raising a curious eyebrow at her. "When Severus told me that poor Noah was in the Great Hall waiting for school to start, I had a feeling he was just lacking a sense of direction. Noah is a pretty self-motivated student in general, so a little nudge was really all it took."

"Student, eh? And what does Uncle Severus think of you thinking of him as a student?" Zack asked.

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that. Noah is a ghost, and I shouldn't expect him to behave in any way other than being a ghost and that sitting in the same room for months on end is perfectly natural for someone without time constraints," Jennifer sighed.

"He has a point, Aunt Jennifer…"

"Yes, but Noah isn't behaving like a normal ghost, Zack. He hasn't since school started last year," Jennifer argued.

"Yes, and you also have a point," Zack admitted. "Noah's ghost angst is related to the fact he never made it across that lake… that he never made it to school and wasn't able to fulfill either his dream or his family's dreams of him attending Hogwarts. Then he met Leu… same family, similar looks and personality, and I think he got curious to see how Leu was doing so he could get an idea how he might have done himself in school. Then when all the professors chose to humor him, he decided he could find that out on his own."

"Yes, that is what happened," Jennifer agreed.

"It sounds to me like he's working on his own therapy on how to move on, then," Zack shrugged. "He doesn't need me."

"Does that mean you agree with me?" Jennifer asked with a hopeful smile.

"Noah is just as much a ghost of Hogwarts as he ever was, Aunt Jennifer, I simply think it's in his best interests to keep supporting his current behavior patterns," Zack said.

"So that means you agree with me," Jennifer concluded triumphantly.

"I had better let Uncle Severus know that things are quiet for now," Zack parried. "I really need to go, because I have a standing agreement with Peeves about bothering me when I'm working, but if he's decided that I'm not working anymore, he's likely to take advantage of it before I have time to get upstairs."

"Such as the fact that there's a cherry cheesecake above your head?" Jennifer observed. Zack looked up and the cheesecake came down right across his face.

"Zack Black needs a snack! Zack has a knack for getting whacked. Snack attack!" Peeves declared, a second cheesecake appearing above head.

"Well! It seems you need to chat with your friend for a bit. I had better be off to finish my dinner with the Headmaster and let him know that you'll be up in a while… and that _you _said I was right," Jennifer added mischievously as she walked towards the stairs.

"No, don't say that! I'd rather that be worded more diplo…" his words were cut off when he found a plate of strawberry gelatin in his face. "matically," Zack finished in resignation. "Did I wake up with a target on my back today or something?"

"Zack Black, target on his back," Peeves sing-songed merrily. Slowly Zack reached behind and pulled a crude paper target off his back.

"You know, I really need to get cleaned up and talk to Uncle Severus," Zack said, but then smiled wickedly. "But first, I'm getting even." Peeves, who had seen that look once too often, immediately disappeared, while Zack dashed off at full sprint towards the kitchens.

* * *

><p>It was a few days later as Severus was just finishing lunch with Zoë when Hermione strode into his study with a folder in her hand.<p>

"What? Is it that time of the summer already?" Severus said, Hermione raising a brow at that before noticing Zoë had an amused expression on her face as she finished her tea.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Hermione said.

"No, not at all. I was just getting ready to head out, actually," Zoë assured her, picking up a heavy book of décor swatches off the table. "No changes, then?"

"No, let's just go with the ones the portrait picked out, thank you," Severus said, waving it off.

"Probably the safest bet," Zoë agreed. "You'll know where I'll be if you think of anything else," she said. "Can I cut through the sitting room?"

"Feel free," Severus said, and Zoë slipped behind the curtain. "Welcome back, Hermione, I had forgotten it was your weekend to return. I've been having such a busy summer that I haven't had time to look much further in my appointment journal except to find out whom it is I'm supposed to be having my next meal with," Severus admitted.

"Oh, well I hope you remember you have a board meeting tomorrow," Hermione said. Severus groaned and began pulling out paperwork from his file drawer. "How did you manage to work the new passages into the budget?"

"The Muggle farm passage is under new security measures, and the new one in the dungeon and the repairs for the tunnel to Honeydukes I have marked as 'subterranean improvements and restructuring,'" Severus read, pointing it out on the scroll.

"Well, they may buy that excuse, but I don't think they'll buy how much those tunnels really cost without further explanation of where the money is going," Hermione said. "Maybe I ought to go over it."

"I haven't gotten everything finished yet, Hermione, I haven't had the time," Severus admitted.

"All the more reason to give it to me so that I help you get it done in time for the meeting tomorrow night," Hermione said calmly, taking the scroll and glancing through it. "Well, these numbers are low enough they'll approve them, but I know this can only be a fourth of the cost. Where did you hide the rest of it?"

"Um… well, that is part of what I'm still working on, so just leave it out for now," Severus suggested.

"In other words, you pulled it out of your savings again," Hermione said disapprovingly. "Honestly, Severus, how many times does this have to come up?"

"Hermione, I already have one wife to nag me incessantly, I certainly don't need two. I simply borrowed it for the time being until we can find some clever way of making up the difference. A fundraiser, perhaps," Severus suggested.

"Good idea. In the meantime, I think it's high time you asked for a raise," Hermione said firmly.

"Let's not spar on that subject again. You know perfectly well that there would be no point to it," Severus told her. "Once my family's needs are met, every spare coin I have goes into the school, and therefore any raise taken out of the budget for that reason is simply having funds reallocated back into the school. Besides, any time my raise has come up, they want to vote for raising tuition."

"Well my opinion is that we're way overdue for one," Hermione argued, Severus frowning at her. "Yes, I know how you feel about it, but I think we've stalled as long as we can afford to. A galleon or two more won't make that much of a difference to most of families out there, and those it would have impacted the hardest can be covered. Besides, we've all had raises since the last time the board fought you to raise tuition. The only two people on staff who haven't had one are you and Jennifer. And since tuition hasn't gone up recently, and the two of you trying to make up any differences, it comes down to you two paying for the rest of the staff's raises, and then some."

"Fine, write me up a proposal for a modest increase on tuition… but no raises," Severus added grumpily, Hermione smiling at him in response. "Anything else you want to badger me about?"

"Just final approvals on class offerings this year, including Bellamy's fitness course," Hermione said, pulling something out from her own folder.

"You know I don't have a problem with it, even if I'm not certain that he'll find any students who are actually willing to take it," Severus snorted, getting his quill.

"I admit that he did have trouble at first drumming up interest when he was plugging it last year until he mentioned he would likely teach them techniques specifically designed to help them get stronger at football and Quidditch," Hermione said with amusement. "Oh, and there is one other sheet here somewhere I need you to sign before I can schedule for Noah taking Ancient Runes a year early," Hermione added, pulling out another sheet before finally noticing that Severus was squinting at her. "You didn't know about it?"

"No, but I'm not surprised either. I suppose Jennifer requested it?" he asked in annoyance.

"Yes, well, she is his advisor, it's well within her rights to do so if she feels he isn't being challenged…"

"And just how do you feel about it?" Severus interrupted.

"Me? Well, judging from Noah's work in my class and having a general idea of his marks in the other classes, I think he could handle it. He's very eager to learn and last year he always seemed to be looking for something more he could do after his homework was done," Hermione decided.

"I didn't mean that. I meant how do you feel about a ghost student in general?" Severus pressed.

"Oh, he did have a lot of trouble with a wand at first, and for a while I wondered if he could even be capable of learning magic until Jennifer pointed out that he had been charming his balms in her class well enough, so I gave it another go. It took a lot of evenings, but once he got the knack of it, he really got the knack of it. He was third in class by the end of the year, although as his teacher I must say he would benefit from having his own wand, and I think Ancient Magic would probably been a better recommendation than Runes, considering he must tap into that somehow… or is that not what you meant either?" she asked with a pause when she noticed the way he was staring at her.

"What he means," the voice of Icarus began, pausing only to make an obligatory knock on the double doors before appearing, "is that he doesn't see much of a point. He thinks that Noah is simply going through the motions and it's all a matter of time before he gets bored and goes onto something else. After all, he isn't alive, so it isn't as if it could benefit him in any way since he's never going anywhere."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ick, Hogwarts never leaves any student with potential behind, you know that's always been the Headmaster's policy," Hermione scolded him.

"A rather costly policy, at that. Perhaps it makes sense that he is rethinking it," Icarus mused.

"Ick, would you kindly butt out? And regardless of what pretense you had for coming in here, I would appreciate it if you knocked and waited for permission _before_ entering the room just like everyone else," Severus added curtly.

"Very well, Severus, it isn't as if I have feelings that matter, is it? Professor Weasley, I do have some business I'd like to take care of, namely sponsoring Noah's tuition and expenses. I think I'll wait for you in your office. It's less hostile," Icarus observed, pointedly walking through the door before fading out again.

"Why do all of the ghosts in this school insist on being so overdramatic?" Severus complained, signing the paper along with several others and handing them to Hermione. "I'll have the rest ready by tomorrow, Hermione."

"Thank you, I'll be in my office for a few hours if you need me," Hermione said, taking the papers and walking out the door, a smile creeping over her face as she went down the spiral stairs.

* * *

><p>'Twas the night before the rest of the professors were due to arrive, and all of the halls were strangely silent. It was almost as if the entire castle was waiting for something. A strange shift occurred that made Caprica Dusthorn stir in her sleep, and she sleepily glanced around the unlit Trophy Room. Deciding she had just imagined it, she was about to go back to sleep when she sensed movement and saw something wispy pass below her. Instantly she was wide-awake and peering down at Icarus, who gazed back at her expectantly.<p>

"Oh, it was you… or was it?" Caprica asked with a yawn.

"No, as I recall it was a change in security that wakes you this time. The Headmaster is moving some things about the castle, including three of the gargoyles," Icarus explained.

"Really? The Headmaster is still Severus, I hope?" she asked.

"Yes, for many years to come," Icarus agreed.

"How long have I been asleep?" Caprica asked.

"About five years," Icarus said.

"And why am I awake now? Just security?"

"Partially, yes. But I also think someone needs us to be awake," Icarus decided. "At least, that is the only reason I can fathom as to why I am so clear headed at the moment."

"In that case, I guess I had better stay awake, I suppose," Caprica said cheerfully.

"Just watch out for Professor Rogue… at least until we find out what the problem is and we know whose side he's on," Icarus said.

"He'll be on the school's side first and foremost, dear friend, just as we are," Caprica reassured him with amusement. "High ho, I don't suppose they have ever got around to painting a coffee pot?" she yawned, dozing lightly. But Icarus nodded to himself, knowing that she was unlikely to fall into a deep slumber again.


	3. Warm Returns

Chapter Three

Warm Returns

Jennifer arrived with a baby in her arms, ignoring Quintin's restless squirming.

"Pu!" demanded Quintin.

"You'll be seeing 'Pu' soon enough, but first we should visit your father," Jennifer told him as they walked to the Doorlift.

When they stepped through the lift, they found the doors of the Headmaster's Study were closed. Jennifer knocked gently, and they slowly opened.

Sitting in front of the desk, Rose turned around and gave Jennifer a warm smile, apparently in the middle of her pre-term conference.

"Come in, Jennifer," Severus said, gesturing for her to come closer. "There is a matter I need to discuss with Rose that you should hear as well. It's about that tree…"

"One moment, Severus, let me get the crib out," Jennifer interrupted.

"Not now, Jennifer. Why don't you just put him down?" Severus suggested.

"What? Trust me, Severus, you definitely don't want me to do that in here, not after the devil he's become now that he can walk…" Jennifer protested.

"Da!" Quintin said, stretching his arms out.

"Very well, hand him to me, then," Severus said so openly that Jennifer gave him a silly grin and handed Quintin over to him. She then wandered over to the curtain leading to the sitting room.

"You should have said something, Jennifer. I'm sure Mum could have watched him today," Rose said.

"Oh, no thank you! I'd much rather have him here at the castle early so I can get him settled… what in blazes?" Jennifer stared inside the sitting room for a moment before stepping inside. Severus rolled his eyes.

"I should have known she couldn't have gotten through ten minutes of discussion without something like this happening," Severus grumbled.

"That's all right, Professor. What were you saying about a tree? Did you mean the Elf Willow?" Rose prompted. The curtains were flung aside.

"Severus, what happened to your sitting room?" Jennifer demanded before Severus could answer Rose's question.

"I'm quite certain everything is in order," Severus replied calmly.

"But where are all of Quintin's things?" Jennifer asked.

"I chucked them," Severus said curtly. "Now, where were we?" Jennifer frowned and went back behind the curtain. "We've been having trouble with the Elf Willow wading through the dirt any time it is curious about something happening on the back grounds. Sirius has a working theory that it is using the less-packed soil we used to fill in the old passages to get around. It has caused a lot of damage to the area, although recently it's been spending most of its time planted near the new greenhouses."

"Well, he was rather upset about that badgimera getting through, Professor, so maybe he just wanted to see how the repairs on the greenhouses were going," Rose suggested.

"Be that as it may, we need to find some sort of solution. While I admit a moving tree is probably a very effective deterrent against anyone trying to sneak by security, it is tearing up the back grounds…"

"Severus?" Jennifer called out. Severus forgot what he was going to say and sighed again. "Quintin's things aren't in my sitting room either! Something must have gone wrong with the delivery!"

"Perhaps I should come down to the greenhouses to discuss the matter with you later," Severus suggested under his breath.

"I'm really eager to go down and see the new building anyway," Rose admitted with a smile, getting up.

"Armando, have John meet Madame Willowby… or Professor, I should say, now that she's passed her full licensing exams… ask him to meet her at the greenhouses to show her the new security features," Severus said.

"Yes, Headmaster Snape," the portrait of Dippet answered with a cordial nod.

"Thank you! I can't wait to see it," Rose said cheerfully, stepping out the doors.

Glancing at the far wall, Severus pulled down the hinged front of his top left-hand desk drawer and flipped a newly added switch under the knob for the stairs. A gentle rumble shuddered through the study while Severus flipped up the hinge and pretended to be busy with his paperwork. A moment later, the curtain was opened again.

"What was that noise?" Jennifer asked, peering out.

"I didn't hear anything. Quintin, did you hear anything?" Severus asked the child on his lap.

"Pu," said Quintin.

"No, I really don't think that noise was 'Pu,'" replied Severus.

"Severus, just what are you up to? I hope this isn't some way of you trying to convince me that Quintin doesn't belong here."

"Well, he doesn't belong in my sitting room and he doesn't belong in yours, either… and no child is supposed to be in our bedroom," Severus reminded her firmly.

"Then where, exactly, do you expect me to put him?" Jennifer challenged him, obviously poised for a fight.

"In there, I suppose," Severus shrugged unconcernedly, gesturing over to the other wall. The wall, which had always been filled with bookcases and display cases, now had a gap in between them with a door that Jennifer was quite sure hadn't been there when she came in.

Curiously she opened the door, the Sorting Hat also peering inside the long, narrow room. Jennifer gawked at everything from the new furniture to the wallpaper to the balcony. Several paintings hung on the wall including the portrait of Jennifer and a lovely one of the castle that she'd never noticed before. Positioned across the far corner of the room was a very tall mirror that made it easy to see the entire room from where she was standing.

"Why, this is gorgeous! And look at that color, not to mention the windows and curtains… and it's so spacious, too, isn't it?" Jennifer said, stepping in. "There's even a small tea table by the balcony. I'm not quite sure I recognize this room, but I swear I've looked out over this balcony before," Jennifer said as she peered outside.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you have, considering it's the room right next to the old Ravenclaw storeroom," Severus explained, closing the door behind him and then opening it again to show the hallway outside the Ravenclaw Tower. "I have the door charmed so it behaves similar to a Doorlift, and it'll lead to one of three places depending on where you want to go," Severus explained, closing it again and opening it to reveal her sitting room.

"Brilliant!" Jennifer exclaimed, happily stepping out long enough to see where the door had been placed in her sitting room. A loud yawning call sounded from beneath the crib and Rasputin stuck his nose out.

"Pu!" Quintin declared, kicking excitedly.

"No, no, why don't you explore your new play area for a bit?" Severus said, putting him down among his toys. "Sirius and I have put in a great deal of security improvements in here, although I must admit the original security built into the room was quite impressive, especially when it was built. The balcony is charmed, and I've charmed the mirror so that you can actually call on its image using your own sitting room mirror. I can use the school mirror in the study for that as well, of course, although I do have a clear view of the room from my desk so long as the door is open."

"Well, I'm not surprised you thought of every conceivable security to put on the room, Severus, but how did you manage to pick out the wallpaper and the curtains without clashing?" Jennifer teased him.

"I have no idea what exactly you're trying to imply by that. If you must know, you picked out the wallpaper and the other décor yourself... well, sort of. I had Zoë consult your painting when she came in to finish the room," Severus explained.

"Lovely! What a splendid idea!" Jennifer said. "Although I must admit that I am going to be a bit nervous about him not being in our rooms any more."

"And just how long were any of his siblings in our room after they were born, Jennifer?" Severus asked with a sigh.

"I suppose only a month or so, when they could sleep the night on their own," Jennifer admitted. "But they also had a Nanny in the next room."

"And now we will be in the next room. Besides, it isn't as if he'll ever be completely unguarded, is it?" Severus pointed out, nodding over to the balcony where Ratfly was clinging to the top of the sill. Descartes was also there, perched on the rail and peering in curiously. Rasputin echoed Severus' sentiment with a hiss of his own. "There is your birthday present to consider as well."

Jennifer glanced up wistfully to see a charm bracelet in his hand, smiling when she saw the clear crystal that had been added to it.

"Thank you, Severus," Jennifer said, letting him put it on. "Oh, what is this?" she asked curiously, noticing that a tiny leather bag had been placed around one of the stones.

"Something that Hermione and I collectively came up with," Severus said.

"This is Aurelius' stone," Jennifer realized after glancing at them.

"His stone is the reason you've been reluctant to wear it. You'll find wearing it is much less unnerving this way. Hermione was also able to find a charm that would work on the drawstrings that causes them to loosen and the bag to fall off if an emergency comes up that is necessary for us to directly intervene in. Otherwise, the drawstrings stay tight unless you take it off yourself… and I suggest for both your sanity and mine that you leave it on," Severus said.

"Well, I do admit to it being unnerving," Jennifer said, making sure the door was wide open before following him into the study. "Does this mean I won't get the fight I got last year over who was going to watch him for the first two weeks?"

"Now that the crib is out of the study and my personal space is under control -excluding my closet space - I believe I can handle it," Severus agreed. "Now that that's out of the way, perhaps we ought to discuss school matters. No new books this year, correct?"

"No, nothing earth-shaking has come up that would cause such a necessity," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "Do I need extra time for something?"

"Perhaps, but first things are first. This is for you, courtesy of the board," Severus said, handing her an envelope. Jennifer opened it and rolled her eyes when she saw the wage increase. "Yes, I know. I feel the same way, but Hermione had the cheek to go to Minerva about how long it had been since both of us had a raise, and if you read the fine print, you'll see that Minerva got one up on us this time."

"Oh?" Jennifer said curiously, casting a magnification spell on her spectacles and pushing them up to look at it. "'This increase will be paid directly into a secondary trust set up by the board through Bank of Gringotts to be released to the owners only upon leaving the school through retirement or change of jobs and cannot be drawn upon until then by either the recipient or any beneficiaries without board approval.' So they gave us a raise, but are putting it directly into a retirement fund we can't withdraw from?"

"In a nutshell, yes," Severus agreed.

"Well, that's lovely. But we do have the old one still… at least what's left of it," Jennifer said with a chuckle.

"I believe that is why Minerva went with this approach, actually, after seeing Dumbledore doing 'something like this' as she put it. And this came just before I had the unpleasant experience of asking for a modest tuition increase, which was something that the majority of the board… including Eric and Minerva… thought was 'too' modest to suit them. In fact, they would only back down after I promised them that Hermione and I were planning a series of fundraisers this year so that the newly proposed 'general use fund for improvements' would be brought to some sort of healthy measure. It did come with a blanket approval of how those general use funds would be used, however, provided that I stopped 'tapping into other areas that isn't supposed to be used for that'… I expect Minerva is the reason they found out about that too," he added with a growl. "She knows our budget tricks better than anyone."

"Severus, I very seriously doubt that she really expects that to change," Jennifer chuckled at him. "She knows that realistically a bit of piggy-backing in the budget is the only way we can get things done without unnecessary bureaucracy getting in the way. I think she's probably just bringing it up to make a point, and the thing she and Hermione seem to be concerned with the most is how much of that 'tapping into other areas' comes from our own personal funds."

"I'm well aware of it, but it's our money and I don't see how it's the board's place to decide what we choose to do with it," Severus snarled.

"Yes, I quite agree with you, although I don't see any harm in this silly account of theirs, either, since in some ways it's not really affecting us and the higher budget will more than make up for it. I don't think Minerva would really support any changes like this unless she thought it was in the school's and our best interests. After all, the whole reason she returned and came back out of retirement was that she was worried about us and wanted to stay and help," Jennifer said.

"She has indeed been a help, very much so," Severus admitted. "Board meetings, although still dynamic, are far from the headaches they had been in recent past. Except for Balmweed's nonsense, it really feels like they are working with the school instead of against it."

"Then perhaps we ought to accept it this time," Jennifer said. "So what sorts of fundraisers did you have in mind to come up with the initial funding?"

"I have no idea," Severus admitted. "And as such, I am hoping to look for faculty volunteers to help Hermione work that out."

"So that is why you wanted to know how much time I have," Jennifer concluded unenthusiastically.

"Well, it isn't as if anything Hermione cooks up wasn't going to have to be approved by you anyway, being head of security," Severus pointed out. "You volunteering to help would simply save the two of you a step."

"Fine, consider me volunteered," Jennifer said resignedly. "I don't suppose you'd approve another auction?"

"No, I most certainly would not, especially considering the whole reason the board wants us to do this is to keep us from dipping into our funds any more. You know how much we spent last time…"

"Who spent how much last time?" Jennifer challenged him.

"Yes, well, either way, I'd rather neither of us were faced with such a temptation." Severus muttered.

"All right, Severus. I'll talk to some of the other faculty once everyone is settled and see what we can come up with," Jennifer promised. "Anything else?"

"Yes, don't forget to add the new tunnel to the Muggle Studies Farm on your pre-term security list. It's completed, and I'm sure you'll find everything in order," Severus said.

"If that's the case, how about I simply check both entrances and assume the rest is safe?" Jennifer said, only partially joking.

"I'm sure John would be happy to go along. Sirius is also still in the castle," he added, sounding a bit put out about that. "He'll be in and out during the school year as his work crew progresses on the Potions tunnel. I expect that one will prove more of a headache to you, since we must keep the students out of that area all year, but we've put some false walls up and moved a gargoyle to that location to guard."

"Not one of those that argues with me, I hope," Jennifer said.

"It's not the Rowena statue, no. I picked the one that guards the old passage that used to lead from Slytherin to the cistern walkway, considering he wasn't really doing anything productive since we closed that years ago," Severus said.

"Oh! I don't mind if it's the one I'm thinking of. That statue has always taking a liking to me for some reason," Jennifer said. "That's the snake statue that looks similar to the ones in the Chamber of Secrets, isn't it?"

"Considering the gargoyles are as old as the castle, I wouldn't be surprised if they had the same sculptor," Severus said with a shrug.

"I wonder who it was?" Jennifer pondered.

"Now, don't get started in any intrigues, Jennifer. You're going to have enough to do as it is with whatever fundraisers are schemed up, not to mention that you still need to stock potions."

"Yes, right, I'd better go down and start the five-day balms, at least, and do a quick inventory," Jennifer said with a reluctant sigh.

"Very well. If you happen to see either Bellamy or Andrew, send them on up," Severus added, handing her the security lists.

"I'll take the front stairs then…"

"And no jumping," he snapped.

"Oh, no, I'm quite cured of that. I think," she added mischievously, hurrying out of the room before Severus could formulate another threat to make.

* * *

><p>The school was bustling as the staff began preparing for the new term, and Noah became more restless. Most of the paintings were awake now, apparently feeling refreshed from their summer slumber, and many of Noah's fellow ghosts seemed even more active than usual. Even Mrs. Norris was on the prowl, following behind John Carnegie as the caretaker went about his duties.<p>

"It won't be long now," Myrtle said, the quiet lilt in her voice a sure sign that she was going to try to bait him again. "Soon the halls will be filled with boys… cute ones. And they'll all need showers…"  
>"You really are obsessive sometimes, you know that, don't you?" Noah complained. "But you're right in the fact that it won't be much longer. I'll go back to the Great Hall to wait."<p>

"Oh, all right, but I still think you're being a bit silly," Myrtle chided him.

"Why don't you come sit with me until they get here? I'm sure no one will mind," Noah said.

"There aren't any pipes in there, so I rather think I'd get bored," Myrtle said. "I only like going in there when there's a dance."

"Don't worry, we'll go to the Spectral Ball together this year," Noah reassured her, getting the hint at once.

"Oh! All right, Noah," she said with a shy giggle. "Maybe I'd better go check the mirrors in my bathroom… I mean… to see if they're clean," she added, humming to herself rather screechily as she floated through the wall.

Deciding that would keep her occupied for at least a week or two, Noah eagerly hurried to the Great Hall to find Mr. Carnegie lighting the carefully lighting the fireplaces and glancing over the tables.

"Is it tonight, then?" Noah asked anxiously. Carnegie jumped up like a cat. In fact, it was so high that he actually caught one of the sconces by the fingers and looked around in surprise until Noah came into view.

"Sorry," Noah said.

"Lud, Noah! Give a chap a bit more warning that you're about before you talk in their ear like that!" Carnegie exclaimed, chuckling at his own reaction as he dropped down. "Silly ghosts! You're all wound up this year! Is there any reason?"

"I don't know about the others. I just want summer to be over and for school to start," Noah explained. Carnegie seemed to relax a bit.

"If that's all 'tis, then I hope you all calm down when the students arrive. I've had my hands full enough lately without havin' t' worry about what you spooks are doing. They'll be here in just a couple of hours or so, I'm sure," Carnegie said.

"I'd better go save Leu a seat then," Noah said excitedly, walking through the Ravenclaw table to sit on the other side.

"And stay seen so y' don't startle anyone else who isn't quite as agile," Carnegie said, going over to the next fireplace.

"Yes, Mr. Carnegie," Noah grinned, taking a seat closer to the end where the first years would be sitting.

Noah watched as Carnegie finished his rounds and went back towards the kitchens to check on the House Elves. It was only about an hour later that Professor Weasley and Professor Bellamy walked in together, chatting softly.

Madame Brittle came in the front doors, and after a quick smile and a wave at Noah, she strode up to the main table.

"Any word yet?" Danny asked, standing behind her chair next to Ace Bellamy.

"She's still working on him," Hermione murmured.

"Is that a good sign or a bad sign?" Ace asked quietly.

"Well, it usually means one of two things," Danny said, lowering her voice but waving Anna over. "Either he's waiting until the last minute to decide, or he came to a decision a long time ago and is simply egging her on for the fun of it."

"We asked several days ago. Surely as a Truthseeker she would know for certain," Ace said impatiently.

"You haven't spent much time around Jennifer, have you?" Anna asked with amusement.

"Only when our work coincides, really, mostly over security concerns," he admitted.

"Even with her spectacles off, it's fairly easy to get her off any subject you don't want to discuss. All you have to do is ask her about what she's wearing or how someone in the family is doing, and she'll forget all about what it was she wanted to ask you in the first place," Anna said.

"That's hardly fair, Anna, it's not as easy as it sounds," Hermione defended. "But the Headmaster has had years of practice at it, so he knows just what buttons to push."

"I should hope so, as long as they've been married," Ace murmured. "Ah, there's Professor Willowby."

"Good evening, everyone!" Rose said. "I hope I'm not running too late. I thought I heard the train just now."

"Really? I suppose it is on time then, isn't it?" Hermione mused, looking at her watch. "Still, it'll be a bit before the first years get here, and I really wanted to find out what the final verdict is first."

"And just what is the Headmaster passing sentence on now?" Andrew asked with a chuckle as he stepped up to stand by his chair.

"On what we proposed for the fundraiser, of course," Danny said.

"So you're in on it too?" Andrew asked curiously.

"I suppose that would depend on what the Headmaster thinks," Danny shrugged.

"What I think," Severus began, walking up with Jennifer right behind him, "is that this is by far the most insane idea anyone has come up with yet, and I have heard my fair share of them." Danny, Hermione and Anna glanced over to observe Jennifer's expression instead, and when they saw her enigmatic smile, they broke into grins. "It will be a complete and total headache for everyone concerned, a security nightmare with all the parents and alumni that are bound to take part, not to mention such a distraction that it will undoubtedly cause marks to drop no matter who the student and what the subject."

"True, but then you probably would have said the same exact thing to any fundraiser of this scale, no matter what we had come up with," Hermione pointed out.

"Why else do you suppose I went ahead and approved the blasted thing," Severus muttered. Bellamy, who apparently was the only one who hadn't caught on yet, let out a short sigh of relief before taking his place with composure. "The board even had the audacity to approve it."

"The board?" Jennifer repeated with a frown. "But wasn't that meeting two days ago?"

"Jennifer, I forgot bringing the Sorting Hat down since we had to drop Quintin off in the daycare room. Would you mind running up and fetching it?" Severus asked.

"Fine, but don't you think for a moment that you're going to get away with this," Jennifer murmured. Danny and Hermione exchanged knowing smiles as she walked away.

"Hermione, don't you have first years to find?" Severus suggested. "Preferably before any fall into the lake again?"

"Well, I doubt that would happen this year, but I might have to make sure a certain niece of mine isn't carrying her shovel," Hermione admitted, only half-joking.

"Oh. Joy," Severus said, groaning at the reminder that Heather and Bill's only daughter was about to enter the school. He became distracted as Keif and Leu came in, splitting up to go to their tables. Leu then hurried over to sit by Noah, while most of the other boys that he had come in with decided to move further towards the middle of the table.

"Hullo! How are you doing? Better?" Leu asked as he sat down.

"Yes, much, now that school is starting," Noah agreed.

"Things all cleared up between you and Myrtle?"

"Yes, I think she understands now… or at least, she seems all right with it. Really, I do care for her, but she can be so high maintenance sometimes," Noah said with exasperation.

"All ghosts are high maintenance," Paula said as she and Kim sat down nearby.

"I think it's a girl trait rather than a ghost trait," Noah replied coolly. "Do you suppose our schedules will still be the same since I've picked up an extra class?"

"An extra class?" Colby asked, leaning over to stare at the two of them. "How could you have an extra class? You're a second year… and anyway, I thought you were just doing all this to hang out with your pal the necrophiliac." Jimmy coughed into his hand.

"I'm an official student now," Noah explained. "Professor Ravenclaw sponsored my tuition, and Professor Craw helped me get books and my own wand."

"That's splendid," Jessica said enthusiastically, making up for Colby's reaction.

"It's pretty amazing, actually. I've never heard of it happening before, nor have I heard of a ghost being able to use a wand at all… unless they have possessed a wizard victim, of course," Pimra said. Colby and Jimmy frowned at each other then looked at Noah warily.

"Oh, I don't have that talent, I don't think. Not all ghosts can do that," Noah said quickly.

"And it's a good thing they don't, or I think Bloody Baron and Peeves would be even scarier than they already are," Paula said in a low voice.

"They're tame compared to that awful cat," Kim said. "Peeves can throw things at us and stick ice cream cones to our noses, but no one tangles with that cat without getting bloody scratch marks. I don't know why the Headmaster even allows that horrid beast to stay in the castle."

"It is a very scary cat," Leu agreed. "Even Copper doesn't like it."

"I don't like it either, and I'm a ghost," Noah confessed.

"You know, I've heard a lot of stories about that cat since I came to Hogwarts, but in every case a student got injured, they either were harassing that cat or they were doing something that they weren't supposed to be doing," Pimra said. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about as long as you leave Mrs. Norris alone and keep out of things you oughtn't be doing. Maybe the Headmaster keeps her here because she's a great deterrent. Anyway, I admit I'm anxious to get my schedule as well. I have a rather heavy class list being that it's my last year. Are we meeting in the library after the Sorting, Leu?"

"Sure, of course. Noah, would you make sure Copper gets out of her cage for me when you go up?" Leu asked.

"Yes," Noah said.

"The ghost doesn't go to the meetings?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm not a member," Noah shrugged. "I am a student, so I don't want special privileges just because I'm a ghost, and there aren't any openings for Ravenclaws this year." Jimmy frowned at that.

"Look sharp, Professor Weasley is at the door waiting for the signal," Jessica said.

The Great Hall began to quiet down as the rest of the students nudged each other to let them know that the professors had sat down. Leu looked up and noticed Jennifer's eyes were on him. She smiled warmly at him before turning her attention back to Weasley as Professor Snape gave her the nod. Professor Weasley slipped back out the door.

"Let's pull ourselves into some sort of order, if we can," Weasley added mischievously as she glanced at Charles Willowby. His hair was a bit darker than his father's but it was in the same storm-tossed condition that Corey's had been when he first off the train… although Corey perhaps had a better excuse. His tie was already pulled loose as if quite constricted by it, and his uniform, although brand new, looked intentionally rumpled as if in an attempt to make it a bit more comfortable. As they fell into a haphazard line of twos and threes, Professor Weasley somehow managed to discreetly pull the end of the wand from her sleeve, and the other students heard a strange gagging noise as Willowby's tie suddenly tightened and his robes became unmangled as if freshly starched. "There, that's better," Weasley said with amusement, opening the doors and ignoring the boy who was futilely trying to loosen his tie.

As Charles glanced towards the Gryffindor table to search for his sisters, a girl with short red hair suddenly grasped onto his arm nervously. He stared at her, trying to remember just which Weasley she was.

"This is positively too much! I think I'm going to faint," Amy said, looking a bit pale. "I think I'll just die if I don't get into Gryffindor, honestly, I shall!"

"Can you add me to your will first?" Charles asked.

"Don't act all cool and collected. I bet your parents would be put out if you ended up in another house," Amy challenged him.

"No other house would want me," Charles said unconcernedly as they all gathered near a stool. With a simple glance back, Professor Weasley put the Sorting Hat on the stool, stepping back with a smile as the Hat began to speak.

"_Welcome to these hallowed halls, all students from far and near!_

_ Forever changing and yet forever the same is this school we hold most dear._

_Generations will speak thru tomes and stone as you learn to make your way,_

_So let's get started, there's much to be done, so it's time you joined the fray!"_

Charles peered at the students as they went up to the stool, looking for those he recognized either from school or simply by their names. Apollo Grey's name sounded familiar for some reason, although he didn't know where from; the dark-haired boy going to Slytherin with a thin smile on his face. Summer Mitchell, who had sat behind him last year at Hogsmeade, seemed just as pleased when she went to Hufflepuff, but he was most interested in one of his neighbors from the Haven's Row who was sure to be up soon after her.

"Chris Parker," Professor Weasley called out. Up at the faculty table, Charles noticed his grandmother whispering a fervent question to his grandfather, who nodded slightly in reply. She beamed at Chris happily, clapping as loud as anyone when the Hat cried out, "_Gryffindor!"_

"We're going to be last again," Amy said with frustration.

"Usually," Charles shrugged.

"Not likely, my last name is York," said a girl that had been hanging in the back with them.

"Nice to meet you, York," Amy said with a grin, but then turned her attention to the front when she realized that her aunt had managed to get out of the "S" names and from the few who were left there weren't all that many "T's."

"Amy Weasley," she finally called with a grin. Acting relieved as if not quite sure she was even on the list, Amy stepped up and suddenly looked quite embarrassed at all the fuss, backing onto the stool.

"_Gryffindor!"_ the Hat called out, and she was so excited she nearly ran to the table with the Hat still on her head and would have if Professor Weasley not been ready for it. Charles rolled his eyes and shook his head, distractedly pushing his hair out of his face.

"Charles Willowby the Third," Professor Weasley called out. Grimacing, Charles went up and sat on the school.

"I go by Chuck now," he murmured out of the side of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Chuck, but the Headmaster insisted," Weasley said with an amused expression, plopping the Hat down on his head.

"So… a new reign begins, is that it?" the Sorting Hat said in a voice so low that only Professor Weasley caught it. "_Gryffindor!"_

Charles winked at the professor and sauntered over the table with his hands in his robe pockets.

"Martha York," Professor Weasley called out, although still eyeing the boy warily. Martha stepped up with a nervous smile and sat down, waiting patiently until Weasley came back over with the Hat.

"_Ravenclaw!"_ the Hat declared.

The last girl walked over to the end of the table, hesitating momentarily when she noticed a blue-faced ghost boy sitting among them.

"Congratulations and welcome to all," Hermione said, taking the Hat back to her seat and sitting down, placing it between the Headmaster and her place. "Nice house balance this year, but I think I'm going to be in for it," Hermione commented.

Jennifer immediately leaned over to see past Severus to try and discern what she was thinking, but then Severus stood up and the room quieted down again.

"Good evening. I see we all somehow managed to survive another summer," the Headmaster said in a way that some of the students couldn't help but wonder if he was surprised of that fact. "I'm afraid tomorrow will come soon for some of you who have an early double, so I'll make my announcements brief. I trust you will waste no time after your meal in seeking out your advisors in your rooms for your schedules and settling in for the night. Everyone second year or older had better be to their classes on time, and with their summer homework done. Hopefully, it is already done," he added dubiously. "This year is, in fact, a good year for testing your own self disciplines to make certain you keep up with your studies, although I assure you that your house points and marks will reflect it if you don't." Many of the older students were giving each other uncertain glances. "Yes, well, I suppose you're wondering why I'm giving that sort of warning right up front like this, but it'll make sense with my next announcement.

"The school will be hosting a fundraiser of rather unheard of proportions this year that will run from the middle of October until two weeks before OWLS and NEWTs in the spring. It will more than likely take up the majority of your spare time this year, since every student will be participating in some way. We will be holding a Junior Wizard Olympics," he explained, and the students began murmuring and whispering excitedly.

"It will consist of a large variety of events for you to choose from, although for some of you with any health or other concerns might consult your advisor before choosing which one you want to pursue. You may even choose more than one, provided that your marks don't waiver… again, I would consult your advisors on whether or not they believe you can handle it. These events will take place on property; on the Quidditch or football pitches, or near the Muggle Studies farm, and sometimes in the Great Hall and spare classrooms. There will be a fee for tickets to get in to see each of these events, yes, even to students, although you'll find the student rate reasonable. Parents and alumni are also invited to attend and will even have an opportunity for one of the limited spaces we are setting up at the Muggle Studies farm for tents. That said, I'm sure you can see that is an event that is going to cause abrupt schedule changes and some sacrifices this year to make this work.

"Muggle Studies will only have access to the farm during the short times before and after the Olympics, so don't be surprised if Madame Black has you over there from the start. Quidditch, sparring, and football practice will be on a strict time schedule, since others will need to be practicing their events in the same areas. Since individual schedules vary, expect some conflicts when it comes to setting up your practice sessions. You will have plenty of time to train on the weekends; in fact, there will be only one trip to Hogsmeade this year and that one will take place right before the holidays. However, I expect there will be plenty of interest by some of the local businesses to sponsor booths on the Quidditch Pitch and in the pavilions, so you shouldn't miss it too much. Other than that, I suggest you get into the habit of checking your schedules daily for class times and free time. I expect all of your cooperation in this; I would like these events to be a learning experience… other than my learning never to approve any fundraiser this extensive again," he finished. Behind him, Bellamy, Danny and Hermione smirked softly. "Very well. Let the feast… and games… begin."

"A junior Wizard Olympics! It sounds quite involved, doesn't it?" Jessica said.

"Yes, but all sorts of fun!" Kim exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Just don't forget the Headmaster's warning about not letting our marks drop. I'm quite sure he means it," Pimra pointed out, picking over her food.

"What's that awful smell?" Jimmy asked.

"Wasn't me," Colby said defensively.

"There is something a bit rank in the air, isn't there?" Jessica commented, scrunching her nose.

"I think it's Noah's food," Leu admitted slowly.

"I've never been served at the table before," Noah said, apparently quite pleased, while the other students stared at the moldy cheddar cheese soup and fuzzy-green crusted bread and strangely colored chicken bone on his plate.

"I think I saw something move," grimaced Kim, and there was a sudden shift as several students decided to change seats to give Noah a bit more space. The first years cringed but attempted to ignore it, while Leu didn't so much as flinch.

"I rather like having you here, Noah," Leu said, picking up a sandwich.

"Me too," Noah agreed, eating his soup cheerfully.

Most of the other Ravenclaws still looked a bit green when they arrived at the Owl Room to pick up their schedules, but noticing there was a pitcher of fresh lemonade they decided to get drinks in hopes of clearing it.

"A few words tonight, if you don't mind. Everyone have a seat," Boulderdash snarled, handing out schedules as they walked in. "I want to chat with you about your group Owl goal for this year."

"Well, whatever it is, I hope it isn't something time consuming. It sounds like we're going to quite busy this year," Garvan decided.

"That's just what I was thinking, and some of us would have had a crazy amount of classes even before this news came out," Mike grumbled.

"There can be only one true solution to this problem, you know," Maurice said, looking up from his schedule. "The only way we can juggle our academic obligations, participate in the fundraising events, and fulfill our Owl goal is if we are able to achieve it by accomplishing one of the other tasks… more than likely, the latter."

"Can anyone speak Craw language?" Kim asked with exasperation.

"It means our main Owl goal should probably have something to do with helping with the Olympics," Natalie explained.

"They're right, that is what we should do," Pimra agreed. "I mean, we've always had a fairly easy time choosing a goal because there are so many projects that the school needs done. But the main reason there are so many is because the school has had to prioritize so badly, especially since the Potion Lab blew."

"There's more to that than you know…"

"Hope, no family politics," Maurice warned.

"This is school politics, I just happen to know it from family," Hope rebuffed. "You see, the Headmaster's been fighting the board so much over where every little knut is going that every time there is something that the school needs but the board refuses to allow in the budget, the Headmaster 'loans' money to the school. In fact, it's become such a habit over the years that he's got both the board and the bank chomping at the bit to get him to stop."

"The Professor wouldn't ever let the school go without something he thought it needed," Leu agreed.

"And he's also not going to let their complaints stop him; he's used to solving his own problems, especially when he's backed into a corner," Natalie said. "The budget must really be a mess if he was willing to agree to an Olympics. I'd have expected him to turn down a crazy idea like this. It's a security nightmare, and I do think he is generally concerned about students not keeping up with their work."

"I don't think it's because the budget is a mess, exactly, I just think he wants more control of it," Hope explained.

"Correct," Maurice put in, folding his fingers together in a way that had all the other members gazing at intently at him. "In fact, this fundraiser is part of a complicated compromise he made with the board to give him more control over the budget when it concerns school renovation projects."

"So if we volunteered to help with operations… you know, errand running, helping running booths and setting up and the like, it'd be like helping with all the projects needed here, not just one," Pimra suggested.

"Well, it definitely sounds like a lot of work, but I'm all for it," Veronica said.

"Me too," added Winnie.

"I agree, I think this is definitely the best solution," Hope said. "But don't we normally wait until we get the new people in before we decide for sure?"

"That can wait a day, Miss Brim. Perhaps it's time you went off to your rooms," Boulderdash suggested. "Mr. Murphy, Miss Hope Willowby, I trust the two of you will have lunch with me tomorrow so we can discuss your plans for this year."

"Wasn't there something else you wanted to talk to us about?" Leu asked.

"As it turned out, I didn't need to say much," Boulderdash sneered, and then held the door as the order said their goodbyes and split up into houses to return to their rooms.


	4. Preparations for an Eventful Year

Chapter Four

Preparations for an Eventful Year

Although most of the first years were both excited and anxious about starting classes at Hogwarts, Charles Willowby was bored out of his mind. They had gotten up for an early day of swishing, flicking, and enunciation, followed by a tedious broom class where half of the students had trouble even getting it off the ground. The last class before lunch was Potions, and the moment he saw it was about identification, grading components, and learning basic balms, Charles slumped in his chair and put his head in his hand. It was going to be a very long year.

"Just give it a week or two," Professor Craw said to him quietly with an understanding smile. "You'll be learning new things in no time, Charles."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Charles muttered under his breath after she moved to the next table.

After lunch was History, and even that, it seemed, was a bit of a lark, for Professor Scribe spent the entire session explaining that what history they had learned so far was open to different interpretations. It had gotten to the point that he felt like dozing off, so he was both relieved and reluctant to head to his last class of the day.

Charles and Chris walked into classroom adjacent to the greenhouse, the familiar smell of freshly watered peat and soil filling the air. On the front table were carefully separated seedlings that they would undoubtedly be responsible for. Charles glanced at them and then slumped into his seat.

"This class should be easy for us, shouldn't it?" Chris commented, recognizing several of the roots that Professor Craw had mentioned they were going to cover that year in Potions.

"So easy that it's going to be a nightmare," Charles grumbled.

"So you say, Chuck. Personally, I like knowing I'll get a passing mark in a couple of my classes this year, thanks. I doubt many of these other blokes outside of our neighborhood had any lessons in this yet," Chris pointed out.

"Maybe it's lessons to you, but to me it's more like doing a family chore rather than attending class," Charles said. "Watch, we'll have our arms covered in mud by the end of the hour. I thought magic school was going to be interesting. So far it's been so dull I'm not sure I can take much more."

"Do you mind? You can save getting dramatic until after class. Some of us are here to learn, not to watch a side show," said a brown-haired boy on the Slytherin end of the classroom.

"Look who's talking, considering your mug would probably qualify for the elephant man look-alike contest," Charles retorted.

"Oh, that's very original… at least for someone who was hatched so his father could have more free help at the apothecary. Well, at least your sisters seem industrious enough, even if Hope has a bit of a sarky mouth. You, however, seem to be too wrapped up in your own ego to be of much help to anyone, and for your parents' sakes, you really ought to stop sulking and start paying attention," the boy said.

"What for? I already know all of this," Charles grumbled, tuning the other boy out despite his best efforts of getting his attention again.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" said a comely, rosy-cheeked woman in a green dress and heavy leather apron, her blonde hair tossed in a messy bun. "I am Professor Willowby, the local herbologist and your teacher for this class. We will be working with a variety of plants this season, most of which you will be also working with in your Potions classes. In fact, Professor Craw and I often collaborate on certain parts of our first and second year classes so that you can have the full benefit of understanding not only how to take care of a magical plant, but also how to preserve its potency and its uses. Because of that, you might consider bringing your Potions notebook to this class as well, especially if Professor Craw or I mention a particular herb, root, or potion associated with something you're learning here. That said, let's get down to business, shall we? Open your books to the first chapter," she said with a warm smile.

Charles opened his book without really reading it, trying to figure out how to keep his mind occupied. He only came in focus for a moment or two when the class broke out in a chuckle, apparently after Amy Weasley declared that the reason learning Herbology was important was to make sure she didn't dig her mother's plants up when she was exploring the backyard. He picked at the desk and at his book until he heard names being called. He paid attention long enough to pick out his plant and put his name on it, but made a point to be the first one out of class when it was finally over. Rose frowned but didn't say a word, wondering if his apparent moodiness would pass.

* * *

><p>It was just after five the next morning when Mike managed to pull himself out of bed and get ready for class, dashing up the stairs to try and make it to the gym on time. He hesitated at the door, for Donald had been walking up the corridor from the opposite direction, his hair unkempt and cheeks a bit puffy but otherwise looking awake.<p>

"Just what are you doing here?" Donald asked with disgust.

"Same thing you're doing here, I'd guess," Mike said.

"I doubt it," Donald retorted and went in ahead of him.

"Come, come, everyone line up!" Bellamy insisted as sleepy, half-dazed students found themselves wondering why they had signed up for the fitness course.

Mike wasn't wondering. Mike knew why he was taking it. As they began stretches, he glanced sideways over to where his brother was on the far side of the room, coolly pretending that Mike wasn't there. That at least suited Mike, but he knew perfectly well with the upcoming games that it wasn't going to stay that way.

"Time for roll call! If someone is missing, I have special permission to take my best students with me to rouse them and bring them to class," Bellamy said cheerfully. "And since you are all my best students for signing up for my physical fitness class, I assure you it will be a full group effort." Everyone, especially the boys, began hoping that someone had skipped, eagerly listening as Bellamy began calling out names. To their disappointment, the only one he had missed had stumbled in before he had finished roll call, and even the Commander looked somewhat disappointed at that fact as well.

"Oh, well, there's always next week," Bellamy said mischievously. "I commend all of you for being here! As an elective course, I suspect you realize that honing your physical strength, fitness, and stamina will benefit you, whether it be for your own health, for your sporting aspirations, or for defending yourself from dark forces who may take advantage of your being out of shape," he said. He glanced at Don, belatedly realizing he was wearing the wrong colors, then glanced over at Mike and nodded to him with a serious expression.

"Luckily for all of you, this also gives you a bit of an advantage to the upcoming Olympics as well. After our exercises, I will give you all an opportunity at trying out some of the different events so that you yourself can see what you might have a knack at. The exercises I will teach you will specifically concentrate on focusing on core muscle groups with limited repetitions and a daily jog, which we will start now, so out we go."

Mike grimaced at that, realizing that was going to mean having to jog the Quidditch Pitch twice on the days the three-day class coincided with seventh year Defense. Well, at least one was in the morning and the other in the afternoon, he reminded himself, and the jog after lunch did help keep him alert through later classes that often made him a bit sleepy in the past. The majority of students running beside him were sixth and seventh years who had for one reason or another opted out of Defense that year, but he did sympathize with the third and fourth years who had both. Very few girls had signed up at all; a few Quidditch players, such as Jessica, Kim, and Helena, and a few other girls he knew only by last name playing on football teams. How they actually kept focused on their exercises with all those boys gawking at them, Mike had no idea, especially Helena who was thrown the most glances no matter what house they were in. The Head Girl seemed quite oblivious to the scrutiny, focusing on the instruction. The only boy who seemed singularly focused on the instructor was Maurice Craw, who despite the rigorous routine didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat. His friends Gamban and Hinge looked completely knackered and quite relieved when they were allowed to sit on the mat as Commander Bellamy took them through all the events that were being planned.

"Is it just me, or did it sound like he expected us to sign up for more than one event?" Gamban asked as they came out of the room.

"Well, most of us have already committed to teams such as Quidditch, football, or sparring," Maurice said. "It's obvious he wants us to try something new, and if he's setting a large portion of the class aside for us to work on those, I expect we'll have the time for it, although I won't give up my position in either sparring or Quidditch if Brittle says I can't do another."

"I don't blame you. You're the best sparer in the school, Maurice, bar none, just as Garvan is the best Beater the team has had in ages," Hinge said.

"True, but I am probably going to drop sparring this year for something else," Garvan decided. "What all sounded interesting to you? I was thinking of doing broom tag team."

"Knowing Brittle, she'll have us all try out for that to see who has the best times," Cain said. "Bet Starling will want to try out for that, he's pretty fast on a broom."

"That did sound interesting, and flying polo," Maurice said.

"That's not on brooms, though, flying polo is on mounts," Garvan said. "I suppose your nephew will go for the water sprinting competition."

"That or wizard hurling," Maurice mused. "I'm not sure which."

"Maybe I'll wait and do one of the winter events," Hinge debated, and then glanced at the secret passage entrance they passed. "Aren't we going to breakfast?"

"You can if you like. I'm going to get a quick shower and a grab a bun instead," Maurice said. Garvan did an experimental sniff of himself.

"Suit yourself, I'm going to breakfast," he decided.

"Same. See you in Potions," Hinge said, following Garvan back through the passage. Maurice was intent to get back to the rooms, passing students who were just shuffling off to breakfast on his way.

He thought about the current poem, working out a couple of rough spots where his meter seemed off through his shower and quickly got dressed in a pressed and heavily starched uniform before slipping into the secret passages once more. As he neared the Potions room, a strange hissing noise came out of the dead end next to the classroom. Squinting, Maurice took a step up with his hand on his sleeve guardedly. That was when he noticed the large snake statue standing at the end of the corridor. It had a large hooded head that typically was reared higher than the height of most students with his body coiled up underneath.

"Sashassin? What are you doing down this corner?" Maurice asked, the snake hissing happily at him in reply. "Oh, never mind. I'm going to be late for class," he said, patting the statue on the head before hurrying off to Potions. Snatching a crossed bun off the cart, Maurice dutifully took his seat next to Garvan. He nodded to Cain and Max at the table in front of him when Max turned to ask him something, but the question was cut off as Professor Craw entered the room with a large bushel of flower petals in her arms.

"Good morning, everyone, welcome back! Have you all turned in your summer homework yet? If not, I'll take it on my desk before you leave," she said, putting the basket down on a small table next to three very large cauldrons. "Oh, and if you have your notebooks out, I'd like for you to note that you are to read the first chapter for our next class… we aren't actually going to get to the book today," she admitted apologetically. "As it so happens, once Madame Potter and Doctor Sagittari found out just what we had in mind for the Olympic events, they decided to add to this year's stock of muscle balms, sprain-ease elixirs, and swelling potions. This class is in charge of helping me with the elixirs," Jennifer said cheerfully, grabbing the petals by the handfuls and plopping them on each desk. "So, let's start by grading these components and go from there. Help yourselves to some coffee if you like! It'll take us a while to go through them but we should be at the mortar and pestle stage by the end of class."

"Lovely, just how I wanted to start out the year. I suppose it's better than a review," Garvan sighed.

"In a way, this is the review. That formula is about the same difficulty as the Pepper-up Potions we did at the end of last year," said Maurice. "Personally, I'd rather it be hands-on than a formal review, at least in a class of this nature."

"I could use the formal review," admitted Cain, turning to look at them. "I never remember any of this stuff after the summer's over!"

"I'm sure you remember more than you realize," Professor Craw said. She had been wandering through the classroom and paused in front of Cain's and Max's desk. "After all, I notice you're judging these leaves not by size but by age. Which are the more potent?"

"The young ones are when they're fresh like this," Cain shrugged.

"And when dried?"

"The older ones, because they have more dormant magical energy left after the drying process," Cain said. "But that's pretty rudimentary, isn't it?"

"Well, we did cover that hard last year, but perhaps you don't remember the fine details of every formula… I don't even remember that unless I'm making a particular potion regularly. But you really ought to give yourself more credit," Craw said with an encouraging smile before going to check the next set of tables.

"She's right, you know. You really don't give yourself enough credit when it comes to your studies… honestly, I think that affected your marks last year more than lack of studying did," Max said.

"His father is the same way," Maurice said.

"Hey, watch it," Cain scowled at him, tossing a ruined leaf in a nearby dustbin.

"Now, I'm quite sure you know that I meant no disrespect. Besides, I think this Olympics thing will be good for your confidence. Maybe you should start thinking less about what sounds interesting to you and instead think about what you might be best at," Maurice suggested.

Jennifer chuckled softly to herself, refreshing her coffee before setting it on her desk and walking over to prepare the cauldrons. She was glad to have the excuse of the large order to have given them something active to do that first day, because none of the students' minds had been on schoolwork since the moment of the announcement. Severus had anticipated something like that, so at the end of the class once the cauldrons were all simmering nicely, she had them all take their seats again.

"Now, as you know, when the events start, you'll have to purchase tickets to see them. Even at a student rate, you're soon going to have to plan what you want to see and what you can skip. However, if you're not interested in parting with what little coin you brought or you are wisely saving it for a rainy day, there is another solution. Every week, all of the Professors will have a limited amount of tickets for that week's events to go to the students who make the top marks in their classes. If you would like to qualify for that with me, I assure you it won't be by skipping homework, even if it's just reading, since I'll probably give a quiz on something like that the next day," she said with a wink. "My other classes, such as Dabbler's or Items, may have further specifics in which you have to make to qualify. And if you're hearing this news for the first time, you might ask your other professors what their own rules are on awarding tickets. Well! I suppose we're done for today… don't forget your reading," she added and dismissed the class.

Smiling softly to herself, Jennifer glanced at her desk schedule and noticed that she had a conference period that morning. Checking on the cauldrons and coaxing Ratfly onto a closer stand to monitor them, she tweaked one of the rolls out of the basket and wandered into her office to see the portrait of Severus gazing at her questioningly.

"Oh, I was thinking about just how dynamic all of the students are this year, and how this whole competition might be good for them. After all, there are so many things they need to learn before becoming an adult, and not all of them are learned in a classroom. If nothing else, I think they'll start understanding themselves better," Jennifer decided. "It is going to be a lot of work, though… did I say going to be? It is already a lot of work," she admitted. "But I suppose it'll be worth it in the end if we have the funds to finish the tunnel without dipping into retirement again." The portrait made a gesture with his hands. "Last I checked it seemed to be going well, but it will take some time before they meet up with the tunnel on Corey's end. It's so long… I hope no one is actually expecting me to use it." There was an odd sort of knock that echoed through the room, almost as if it had been knocked from inside the door rather than outside of it. "Is that you, Ick?"

"Yes. Do you have a moment or two?" came his disembodied voice.

"Yes, of course," Jennifer said, sitting at her desk and trying to hone in on where the voice was.

"Have you given much thought as to what event Noah can participate in? Being a student, he's required to do one, correct?" Icarus asked.

"Yes, and yes I have given it thought, although I am still debating what would be fair, both to him and the other students," Jennifer admitted. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Will there be any mounted events?"

"Yes, a couple. Flying Polo for the winged mounts and Mystical class Jumping for the ground mounts. Do you suppose he'd be able to handle jumping?" Jennifer asked with interest.

"I did think of that, until I considered the weight difference of having a regular rider to one with no substance. But I have thought of another option that might help not only Noah out but quite a few of the other students who have medical considerations that would be interested in this form of competition. I was thinking that a Dressage with both flying and ground mounts might fit the bill."

"A freestyle competition?" Jennifer mused, thinking it over before smiling. "Oh, that is a good idea. But are you sure Noah would be able to handle and train a mount?"

"I think he'd be able to handle a Thestral, don't you? After all, it worked for the component in his wand. And we do have enough people in the castle that can see them that that part wouldn't be an issue, either," Icarus said.

"Well, we will have an outside judge on all the panels too, but I'm sure we can work it out. Let me ask Severus what he thinks, and if he's all right with it, I'll contact the Stoddard Institute to find out what all the rules are and then see if Sagittari can use his contacts to get a hold of extra mounts. Goodness, this thing is getting big quickly, I do hope we can hold all of this together!" Jennifer exclaimed, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't worry, Jennifer, I'm sure that what's going on in the castle won't affect the games, at least, I don't think it will," Icarus mused. Jennifer frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Is something going on I don't know about yet?"

"Things are not as tranquil as they might appear on the surface. A great many changes have happened to the castle lately, and that tends to shake things up for those haunting it," Icarus explained.

"Oh, yes, that. I have noticed the restlessness in the ghosts and paintings, Icarus," Jennifer said. "So it's the changes to the castle that have them worked up?"

"Partially, yes… and the strange sense of being disturbed beyond that… as if one of the castle's secrets was about to unfold after a thousand years," Icarus said, his voice trailing strangely. And yet, although his voice sounded distant, it also sounded quite clear. "Well, I should go, I'm sure my students have gotten themselves all the way up those awful stairs by now. Thank you for your time."

"Thanks, Ick," Jennifer said in kind, but she couldn't help but think about what he had said the rest of the day.

It was after dinner when they were having coffee in the study that Jennifer told Severus about the conversation, and he frowned disapprovingly at the tone of it.

"Well, I am perfectly fine with adding the event he asked for, Jennifer, because he does have a point. But I hope that you don't make too much out of Ick's warning. You know how he gets," Severus said, straightening his paperwork before reaching for his cup.

"It isn't the normal gloom and doom warning that is bothering me," Jennifer assured him. "It was his other point about how every time the school is changed it has an impact on the castle's ghostly inhabitants… like Ick, who was attached to the potion office until it blew up… well, not that I'm not relieved he took to his own office, but still, it did change him. And it changed Noah, too, when the boathouse got repaired. Who knows what other ghosts we might be displacing?"

"Jennifer, the living must do what's right for the living. Whether the dead linger or not, we still must progress on the things that need to be done to make this castle better for those whose time on this earth is now. I am certain that all of them understand and respect that, although I agree we should treat them with respect as well. But we cannot allow their presence to stifle what's best for our present, it is not their time," Severus said. Jennifer sighed softly. "Just because you can read them doesn't mean they're human any longer, Jennifer."

"Yes, I know," Jennifer said, folding her arms. "I understand what you're saying, and I also agree with you. But that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about its effects on them."

"Then I'll make an appointment to see Zacchius at lunch to make certain it's monitored, and he can go ahead and help any who may be affected adjust to the changes," Severus said.

"Thank you, Severus. That sounds quite reasonable," Jennifer said with a smile, apparently placated by that.

"Good. Now that that conversation is over, can we defer all work related matters until tomorrow?" Severus suggested.

"Gladly, but that does mean you have to stop scratching that quill of yours against that scroll in front of you," Jennifer teased.

"I am making certain that Dressage is on the event list so we can have tickets made up," Severus explained. He then paused, glancing towards Quintin's room. "Besides, it seems there will be another delay," he gestured as Quintin toddled in with a book in his hand with a large clock on the cover.

"How did you manage to get out of that pen?" Jennifer asked, holding her arms out for him.

"Tock tock," Quintin said, pushing the book at his mother.

"Seven fifteen precisely," Severus noted, glancing at his watch.

"Time for your bath and book and bed, young man," Jennifer said, picking Quintin up. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"How about I finish this and meet you in your sitting room," Severus suggested, glancing at his desk.

"Sounds lovely. I won't be long," Jennifer said, carrying Quintin to the back.

The moment she was gone, the portrait of Severus Snape acted, stepping into Armando's frame to try and get the Headmaster's attention. It was just as he was about to resort to using his violin that the portrait of Jennifer ran into the frame and pulled his arm back. A silent argument ensued, evident in the tugging going on between them and the violin.

"Dad, wait…" said a soft familiar voice.

Immediately the real Severus looked around, half expecting Corey to be standing there. No… that wasn't even close to what he sounded like now, he realized, staring at the paintings on the far wall while behind him the Jennifer portrait finally succeeded in yanking Professor Rogue into the portrait of Dumbledore. Thinking he saw movement, the real Severus turned back around to inspect the other wall, where the majority of Headmaster paintings were still slumbering. It was then he noticed Dumbledore's painting was empty.

"Armando, where's the Dumbledore portrait?" he asked, growing suspicious.

"I believe he went off to find a painting with a comfortable sitting area and a tea set," Armando conjectured.

"Oh? Why?" Severus asked with a frown.

"Because it's Dumbledore, I suppose. Isn't that what he always does?" Armando answered with a shrug.

"I suppose," Severus said. But although he wasn't completely convinced and glanced up every now and again to check the frame, he still managed to finish up as the clock announced seven-thirty and went towards their private rooms. Armando sighed and shook his head, glancing up at the painting that had just appeared across from him.

"I don't think he'll be able to convince him to keep quiet," Armando admitted.

"He won't, but maybe she will," the portrait of Dusthorn winked. As the doors shifted and the room became quiet, the painting disappeared again.


	5. Cat Curiosity

Chapter Five

Cat Curiosity

The next day Noah had Ancient Runes, so Leu wandered back into the Owl Room for lunch. A large scroll had been tacked sideways on the wall, listing all of the events. Beneath each entry was a place to sign up for extra duties, either to help build or gather equipment or assist whichever Professor was running it. Some events had space for two students with tiny scrolls attached as if to say there was plenty of room for more.

"I foresee a lot of work in our future," Leu said somberly.

"I could tell that just by the Owl goals I have," Hope snorted softly. "I don't suppose we can assist and participate in the same event?" She glanced over at the worktable where the goblin librarian was sitting.

"How can you assist if you are too busy preparing, Miss Willowby?" Boulderdash snarled. "I really don't think that is your best interests to do both, although you should consider your own skills and interests when deciding which events you plan to help out organizing. You're not likely to be a good assistant if you simply put your name down because it happens to be the right hour that conveniences you."

"As it so happens, something that interests me is in the right hour," Leu put in. "And it also looks like Wizard Hurling practice will be during one of my open hours too. I've always wanted to try that growing up, but my parents thought I was too young at the time."

"Why? How does it differ from the hurling you taught us?" Hope asked curiously.

"It's played with a Bludger for one thing, and you have to have special shoes," Leu explained. "They're called Springoline Boots."

"You mean jumping boots? Wow, that does sound exciting! In fact, now I'm interested. I'm surprised you don't want to play!" Hope exclaimed, peering at the chart.

"I do want to play," Leu said, taking out a quill. "It looks like they are doing the water sports on Saturday afternoons. I'm going to assist in all of those."

"You're not competing? Even in the underwater obstacle course? But you'd be a shoe-in what with your water breathing and all that time you've spent diving wrecks. Nobody would even come close!" Hope protested.

"I guess that's why I don't want to do it. It wouldn't be fair, and anyway, I think I could really be a great help setting up obstacles and keeping the course clear and such since I don't have to worry about gillyweed in my mouth or when my potion is going to run out," Leu said, putting his name to all of them.

"Yes, I suppose that does make sense," Hope agreed with a sigh, debating her options. The door opened and Winnie and Mike came in together, Mike pausing to look at the chart himself.

"I have a list of possible Hufflepuff candidates, but I think it's going to take some time to get it narrowed down," Winnie said. "When are we going to vote in new members?"

"It's been so crazy this week, I was thinking either Friday at dinner or Saturday at lunch," Leu said.

"Make it Friday evening, please. I need to visit home this weekend," Boulderdash said.

"Has anyone of the other houses thought about who they're going to invite?" Winnie asked.

"We were thinking of inviting Amy Weasley, Chris Parker, and my brother, actually," Hope said. "Assuming he's ever let out of detention, that is. I think right now he's booked until November."

"What? But it's only the first week of school!" Mike laughed, grabbing a quill to add his name to the duty roster. "How could he possibly be in that much trouble already?"

"He was bored," Hope said darkly. "My brother is not someone you want to be around when he's bored. Isn't that right, Nat?" she said, glancing up at her sister who was picking through the sandwich selection.

"I think if he pulls one more stunt, our mother is going to forget she's a professor and find a willow switch," Natalie sighed.

"Why? What has he been doing?" Mike asked.

"Everything from arguing with the professors over whether a particular point is right or not to falling asleep in class, despite all the threats that have been thrown at him," Hope said. "I think the latest detention was fusing Amy's robes to her seat in an attempt to entertain himself. She's not speaking to him at the moment."

"That's likely to be trouble then if you invite both of them, isn't it?" Leu asked.

"I suppose, but Amy could use the support right now she's a bit… well, she's a bit out of touch," Hope explained. "Rather flighty, really."

"Not as out of touch as your brother is if he is causing as much trouble as you say, considering what sort of affect his bad behavior will have on the rest of the family," Winnie said.

"He's not thinking about that," Hope said, propping her head up in irritation. "Because… well, if he was actually thinking about it, he probably wouldn't be doing it."

"Exactly," Winnie agreed. "He's usually very family oriented, so this is way out of line, even for him. Someone needs to reel him in, I think."

"It does sound like that there are good reasons to have him join," Boulderdash agreed. "Although I can't help wonder if inviting him would also cause problems for the order."

"I seriously doubt he'd cause any trouble with us here, Librarian Boulderdash," Natalie reassured him.

"That isn't what he meant," Maurice said calmly. "He was referring to the growing disgruntlement among those in the student body who are interested in joining this order and the fact that the majority of them believe the only way one can get into this place is if they are related to the Headmaster in some way."

"Well, I'm not related, and the fact that we vote in who is going to be coming in here should account for something," Mike said. "Besides, as I recall, the Headmaster himself went to war over the board on how they wanted to exclude his family from being considered for faculty positions regardless of whether they were the best qualified or not. I'd say we should do the same and look at each individual based on their needs and what they'd bring to the table rather than who they're related to."

"I agree. After all, that's what this order has always stood for, hasn't it?" Pimra said.

"You can invite whomever you like, as long as you keep the houses balanced," Boulderdash shrugged, apparently unconcerned.

"I'm all right with going with Amy, Chris and Chuck," Leu said. "What about Slytherin?"

"Well, I haven't consulted with Lena yet, but I was thinking of nominating Keir Box to fill our empty seat," Maurice said.

"What? But he's such a smart ass!" Hope said.

"You have no room to talk," Maurice said in a warning tone.

"Besides, I figured you'd have asked Hinge or Starling for sure," Hope said.

"I wouldn't want to choose between them, and besides, they are really quite well adjusted in their own right and have no need for further intervention. Keir has trouble relating to his fellow Slytherin at times," Maurice explained calmly. "To put it another way, he doesn't do well with anyone he feels is competition or even in the same social set. He'd rather associate with those he feels he has an advantage over so that he never feels inadequate." Leu shifted in his seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "If you're worried about him, just challenge him toe to toe and I doubt he'd ever bother you again."

"Sounds like he just needs a bit of self confidence," Natalie ventured.

"Maybe, or maybe he needs to get knocked down by his peers now and then until he learns how to deal with it. Honestly, he's never going to get anywhere in life if he doesn't learn how to get competitive," Maurice said.

"Then the Olympics might be the very thing he needs," Natalie decided.

"Maybe, or it could make it worse," Maurice shrugged. "He might try to cheat his way to a victory if pressed like that."

"Well, I don't care what anyone says. Keir's a mate of mine, and I think we ought to give him the benefit of the doubt," Leu said.

"Lovely, just what we need," Hope said without enthusiasm before wolfing down a sandwich before her next class.

Leu finished his Charms homework and soon wandered upstairs to wait for Noah's class to let out. It wasn't long before he heard a murmur as students left the classroom. Noah apparently missed the door and came through the wall, startling some of the students who came out of the room beside him. Noticing Leu waiting in the hall, Noah hovered over to him with a thin smile.

"So how was it?" Leu asked and turned back towards the stairs.

"All right, I suppose. This first class was mainly a lecture about class rules, the subject, and what's expected of us rather than an actual class, but we got a basic list of runes we have to memorize before next class," Noah explained.

"I can help you with those. I probably know most of them already. What was sitting class with the Professor like?" Leu asked curiously.

"Oh, well, he's as strict as Bellamy as far as that goes, but much calmer and with less talk of running laps as punishment," Noah decided. Leu grinned at that. "There were a few implied threats though, and personally, I really hope no one tries anything because I think he would actually do most of them. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior."

"Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of his desk," Leu agreed.

"How was lunch?"

"Oh, all right. Everyone in the Owl Room was mainly talking about who might be coming in and doing sign ups on the duty roster for the games. I'm afraid I may be busy this weekend helping the professors clean up the lake," Leu admitted.

"Well, I'm to go to Doctor Sagittari's hut after breakfast on Saturday so that I can become acquainted with my mount before Bridle Club," Noah said.

"Mount? Bridle Club?" Leu repeated in surprise.

"Yes, Professors Ravenclaw and Craw suggested I compete in a mounted event for the games and got me a special mount that they think will respond to me," Noah explained.

"That's splendid. I suppose I'll have to buy tickets for that then," Leu decided.

"All right," Noah said, but then became thoughtful. "I don't suppose they'd charge me for tickets? The other ghosts are bound to show up for the events, and they certainly won't be charged anything. Of course, they aren't students, either."

"True," Leu said thoughtfully, turning down the main corridor towards the Transfiguration room.

"There you are! Have you been in the library all of this time?" Keir Box asked critically as they came in. Noah sat down on one side of Leu while Keir sat right in front of him.

"Mostly, yes. Have you thought about what game you might be participating in?" Leu asked.

"I expect I'll get on the Quidditch team this year, but that's not important at the moment. Your brother is apt to be in a monstrous mood, because I heard we just missed the most brill class of the entire year. I wish I had been born a year later just so I could have seen it," Keir whispered, peering around the corner to make certain Professor Andrew was still in his office.

"Seen what?" Leu asked.

"Well, apparently when Professor Andrew did his normal bit and had the first years introduce themselves, one of those Hufflepuff girls stood up and decided to fess up that her mum once dated Andrew. Next thing you know, two other girls and a chap in Gryffindor all admitted the same thing! And one of those girls was Muggleborn!" Keir sneered.

"Her mother was a Muggle? That is amazing. I wonder what the odds are that something like that would happen…"

"Rather good, considering just how much hanky panky Professor Andrew used to do," Noah said. Keir sniggered.

"Noah! I can't believe you said that," Leu said, horrified.

"I may have spent most of my time in the boat house before last year, Leu, but even still a ghost can't help but notice things. Your brother was a bit of a player until just a few years ago, and everyone knows it," Noah said solemnly.

"Yes, everyone does know that, but what everyone doesn't know is what exactly turned him off to it. Do you know?" Keir asked with interest.

Just then, there was the sound of a bell and Noah immediately faced forward and tried to get ready for class. There was a great deal of whispering going on, but the room fell unusually silent when the office door opened and Professor Andrew strode in looking stiff and annoyed. Normally he was a calm and patient teacher, but in that moment, Noah was reminded of the Professor Snape of thirty years ago.

"I trust you had a pleasant summer, but not so pleasant that you didn't get your homework done," Professor Andrew said, glancing at them skeptically. "Pass your work up to the front, please, and we'll have a quick quiz as a review. We'll be in elemental properties this year so I'd rather not spend too much time on old material… do you have something to say, Mr. Minster?" Andrew asked, squinting at James who simply shrugged with an apologetic smile. "I had better not hear any more chuntering, or I will be pulling all of your tests. Considering the amount of new concepts we'll be exploring this year, I don't think that starting out with a failing mark is in your best interests. Is this everyone?" he asked, looking around with annoyance after counting them.

"Well, I know there is one missing, so does anyone want to fess up to it before I go through them? Mr. Box, it wasn't you, was it?" Andrew asked when Keir suddenly sat straight up and looked around.

"Oh, no, professor. I turned my homework in. I was just hoping that someone would confess to having another mother or aunt who dated you while they're at it," Keir explained. The class broke out in laughter, excluding only Leu, who looked quite uncomfortable about the whole thing. He was very keenly aware that Noah was laughing along with the rest of them.

"Put yourselves in order at once! Mr. Box, that'll be ten points off Slytherin for your lack of respect, and I plan to speak with Madame Brittle after class so that I'm sure I won't be fighting that mouth of yours all term. Now, take your tests without so much as a sigh! I had better not be hearing any more of your rumors out in the halls, or you will be having a very long term indeed… is that quite clear? To everyone?" Andrew added dangerously after getting a rather noncommittal nod from Keir. The rest of the class seemed a bit more agreeable, ready to get their tests just to have a buffer between them and their irate professor. Only Noah risked a glance up to see Professor Andrew appearing quite deflated at his desk.

"I can't believe you said that," Leu said when they came out of the classroom. Keir immediately led them into one of the secret passages. "Really, it was rather cold, Box, not to mention embarrassing."

"Now, don't blame me for it. I didn't have anything to do with the situation this morning," Keir said, laughing it off.

"Keir's right, it isn't his fault your brother used to be a bit of a cad. He made those beds, so it's his fault if he has to sleep in them. No one else's," Noah pointed out.

"Right you are. You know, you're not so bad after all, Dolan… well, for a Ravenclaw at any rate," Keir said with a grin. "I'm off to Charms, see you in class tomorrow, Murphy."

"See you," Leu said, but when they turned towards the back passages, Noah could tell that Leu was still vexed.

"What is it? You're sore at me, aren't you?" Noah asked, but Leu seemed in no hurry to answer. "It isn't like I said anything to your brother, is it?"

"You said enough. In any case, your actions speak louder than words. I rather think you don't like Professor Andrew very much," Leu said.

"It isn't a matter of liking or disliking, I simply think he got what he deserved, that's all," Noah said. "Don't we have Herbology this hour? We should have stepped out of the passage back there."

"It's much closer to the greenhouses if we cut over from behind the caretaker's rooms," Leu said.

"The caretakers rooms? But what about the cat?" Noah asked with a frown.

"You're a ghost. Surely you're not worried about that cat," Leu sighed.

"Can't I be worried for your sake?" Noah protested, but then suddenly stopped short. "Did you hear a mew just now?"

Leu paused to listen but didn't hear anything.

"Let's press on. It's not much farther," Leu coaxed.

"I hear voices now," Noah whispered. Leu began to hear them as well, for the woman's voice seemed to be shouting.

"I think that's Rose… Professor Willowby, I mean," Leu corrected himself.

"Right upset, isn't she?" Noah said. Leu hurried to see what was going on and found himself standing at a strange wooden panel with the initials "G.F." cut into it.

"It has been one thing after another since you arrived at this school, Charles, and I for one have had it," came her muffled voice. Leu inspected the panel and was able to open it slightly. Small metal bars on the other side kept him from opening it more than an inch, but he could hear more clearly. "In fact, I have half a mind to send for your father. I will send for him if one more thing happens… and that includes any more professors coming to me and complaining about you not doing any of your written work, and that includes your grandmother, by the way…"

"There isn't anything in that class I haven't learned already, Mum," Chuck said. "As for the other classes, I'll start writing out my work when they start teaching stuff that is worth writing down. It's all rubbish! There's been nothing but teaching folks how to hold wands and speak properly how not to stick your hands in fertilized fungus pots. I'm bored, Mum, give me some slack! Surely you can't blame me for trying to liven things up a bit…"

"You charmed the entire corridor so that everyone was forced to walk on the ceiling. Someone could have gotten badly hurt when they fell off…"

"Now, Professor, 'twas obviously meant as a bit of harmless fun," came the voice of Carnegie, but his tone suddenly changed. "But it did get the ceiling scuffed up in the process, mind."

"I expect you'll be having him clean them, Mr. Carnegie?" she prompted.

"Aye, I expect so. Report tae me after dinner, Mr. Willowby," Carnegie said.

"And points?"

"Ah, yes, five points off for usin' the ceilin' without my permission then."

"Only five?"

"Ah… you may go, Mr. Willowby," Carnegie continued quickly.

"Yes sir," said Charles, followed by the sound of a door quickly opening and closing.

"Now then, Professor Willowby, don't you be thinkin' the boy's been punished enough what with havin' his mum yellin' at him like a younger child and all…"

"He is behaving like one! I really don't know what has gotten into him, John. He's been so cocky since he arrived here. I really don't know where he gets it from!" she said with exasperation.

"I know where he gets it from," Noah snorted.

"Hush, they'll hear you," Leu whispered.

The sound of a cat growling deep in its throat quieted them both down.

"Some students have a hard time adjustin' tae the rigors of Hogwarts more'n others, Professor Willowby. If I may, what I think the lad needs is a bit o' time and space. I felt obliged tae handle the matter bein' in my own corridor as t'were, but perhaps next time we should let the Headmaster handle it as a school matter? Considerin' how things are goin', t'won't be long before he earns the right t'that office either way," Carnegie suggested. "Would ya like a quick cup o'tea?"

"I'm sorry, John. I suppose I did get a bit carried away, but I am so frustrated with how he has been behaving! Perhaps I should talk to Jennifer about it, maybe she has better ideas…"

"Where are you off to, Mrs. Norris?" Carnegie asked.

Leu frowned at that sudden question, but he didn't have any more time to react before Mrs. Norris pounced through the panel. The two boys howled in surprise, and then Leu's howl turned to a plea for help as the cat attacked; scratching his shoulders, arms and face mercilessly despite Noah's frantic attempts at trying to get the cat off of him.

Carnegie charged into the passage with Rose right on his heals, tossing a bottle onto the floor next to Leu and casting the spell that pulled the irate ghost cat into the bottle.

"Not me too!" Noah panicked as he begun to feel the pull of the spell, pelting up towards the ceiling to escape it. Quickly Carnegie stoppered the bottle, while Rose hurried to Leu's side, the scratches just beginning to welt and grow red.

"What happened? What a state you're in! We'll have to take him upstairs to the hospital wing for certain. I suppose you were trying to get to the greenhouses, weren't you? Whatever possessed her to go after them like that?" Rose asked in dismay, helping Leu up.

"Mrs. Norris wouldn't attack a student without a reason, Professor Willowby," Carnegie protested. Inside the bottle, Mrs. Norris let out another low growl. "I expect these two weren't walking so much as eavesdropping on us."

"What?"

"The panel there is tae the back of my closet, and I notice 't isn't as tightly latched as I normally keep it," Carnegie explained. Rose turned and frowned disapprovingly at Leu and Noah. Neither seemed inclined to speak, but the glum, guilty expressions on both of their faces spoke for them. "I will take them up, Professor Willowby, I know you have a class t' attend to."

"I have half a mind to give a test," Rose said irately, scowling at them as Carnegie nudged Leu forward.

"You know where the hospital is, Mr. Murphy, let's be quick about it. I'd like tae get the cat back out of the bottle afore she's even in a fouler mood than she is now, thanks t' your nosiness. You too, Mr. Dolan. I'll have a word with you both about that subject once Mr. Murphy is attended to."

"Yes, Mr. Carnegie," Noah said, floating along beside them.


	6. Unusual Classmates

Chapter Six

Unusual Classmates

Jennifer came out of the hospital wing still shaking her head. She stepped into the daycare room to pick up Quintin and have a few words with Ashley, and then finally made her way up to the fifth floor, dropping off a stack of homework in Severus' sitting room before cutting through the Headmaster's Study.

"And how is Llewellyn?" Severus asked without even bothering to look up.

"Quite scratched up, actually," Jennifer admitted with exasperation. "Ginny gave him something for the itchiness but nothing that would completely clear it up. We're hoping perhaps the reminder of what happened in the mirror over the next couple of days will deter him from messing with Mrs. Norris again."

"Considering the offense, I doubt it will work. You know as well as I do that Llewellyn has always been overly curious," Severus pointed out.

"That's true, but I've always felt like it's because he wants to feel a part of things rather than a desire to be nosy," Jennifer replied. She went into Quintin's room long enough to put him in his pen then walked back into the study.

"Regardless of the intent, it still has the same results, Jennifer. He really needs to learn to respect other people's privacy, and the sooner the better," Severus said. "Anyway, I have the final list of competitions done if you want to look them over, although I doubt it will require be any security changes."

"Oh? Did you manage to come up with two more indoor competitions after all, then?" Jennifer asked, walking over to the desk and taking the offered list when he nodded. "Wizard Go? I doubt many of them know how to play that."

"Yes, I thought it might be a good learning experience for them, not to mention it should put most of the competition on even ground," Severus agreed.

"But what's this last one? Wizards of MC card tournament? That doesn't sound like any sort of regular competition, Severus," Jennifer said.

"Actually, it was Anna and Rose who recommended that one. St. Mungo's is going to sponsor a couple of booths during the games, one to raise money for building a new hospital and another for the orphan placement fund. The latter is going to sell a variety of children's toys and games including that trading card game, which apparently already has organized competitions of some sort. Supporting it will help both fundraising efforts, and it'll give students another indoor option at the same time," Severus explained.

"Well, I hope they have someone in mind to run the thing, then, since I've no clue what it's about. Still, I am glad you found two more options that I don't have to run special security for. This is going to be enough of a headache as it is."

"Tell me something I don't already know," Severus said. "Our practically non-existent 'free time' will be quite literally non-existent when those games start."

"My free time is already gone, Severus," Jennifer said tiredly. "I spoke to Hermione at lunch, and some of the people requesting booth space are rather questionable."

"I'm not surprised, which is why I asked her to run them by you first. I'm sure you can manage sorting it out," Severus said calmly.

"Well, there are some that have come up that I don't have a problem with approving but I'm not so sure that you would approve of," Jennifer admitted. Severus looked up questioningly. "Brogan has asked for a booth, and so has Oman."

"Oman?" Severus repeated, squinting.

"Well, we did cut down on the school's Hogsmeade trips this year, Severus," Jennifer reminded him. Severus groaned softly in a reluctant debate with himself.

"Fine, but put him across the tracks at the Pavilion, and Brogan as well, assuming he knows about and plans to adhere to the no alcohol policy. I hope you don't expect me to approve anyone more questionable than that, however."

"Don't worry, Severus, Hermione already told Sludgebat where to stuff it," Jennifer said, Severus looking up to make certain she was joking. "We did have a few legitimate goblin requests though, Knicknack, Webstring, and some of the other Myrkinbrek goblins have asked for more particulars… even Tassels and Panning expressed interest. I'm not sure I'd put them in the Pavilion, though, if Oman and Brogan are going to be there."

"I agree, let's not have any interracial incidents if we can help it," Severus said. "Anything else?"

"Hm, no, only that space for tents in the main pavilion are already filling up and we might have to put another one up on the back field."

"Filled up already? We don't even have the schedules worked out yet."

"Yes, well, some of the wealthier parents decided simply to cut to the chase and rent space for the whole length of the games so they wouldn't have to worry about it later," she explained. Severus stared at her.

"Don't tell me. Coventry."

"Oh yes, he was definitely one of the first to rent one that way," Jennifer said, Severus groaning loudly. "So was my father," she added dryly. "Can we assign them next to each other?"

"You would find that amusing, wouldn't you?" Severus said. "I don't suppose you ever finished those tests on various metals?"

"Oh, I put them with my homework stack in the other room," Jennifer said with a sigh. "You know, we are going to have to move the gargoyles at the main gate around," she added, stepping behind the curtain.

"I thought we were done moving those," Severus frowned.

"I thought so too, but the one that breaks cameras is there and I don't think the parents would appreciate that when they come to take photos of their children during the games," Jennifer explained as she came back in with papers in hand.

"Good point. I'll rearrange them myself this evening. Do you have the tests on the Time Turner as well?"

"Well, yes, at least the alloy tests. I may be an expert on items, but how exactly they get this thing to work is beyond me. Temporal magic is your field, not mine," Jennifer protested.

"Yes, well, if we're going to get this project to work, then we're both going to have to learn… you about temporal magic and me about items crafting. You know as well as I do that even though Aurelius and your father's counterspell to the Erase curse is promising, it will not protect us if we don't know it's coming," Severus said. "An item designed to protect us against temporal spells would be much more effective."

"Yes, I know," Jennifer agreed. "But I really don't know the first thing about Ancient Magic, Severus, and you really haven't had much experience crafting items, only identifying and countercursing them. With everything going on, how are we possibly going to find the time to teach each other enough to make such an item work?" Severus looked thoughtful.

"You had a long lunch today, did you not?" he asked, glancing at his schedule.

"Yes, of course. I have a short conference on Thursdays because of my fifth year double. That's how I got the metal tests done today."

"Good," Severus said, pulling his class folders out of the bottom of his desk and handing her a sheet out of the first one. "Here are my class notes, you may borrow them to copy out. The homework assignment for next week is listed on the bottom; I trust you'll find time to get it done before next Thursday."

"Oh, um… what?" Jennifer said, staring at the notes blankly.

"When is your Items Creation course?" he asked.

"My Items course?" Jennifer repeated unsurely.

"First bell on Fridays, sir," Armando offered helpfully.

"Fine," Severus said, checking his class schedule before glancing at his appointment book. "Book, schedule me as unavailable from half past eight until ten on Friday mornings, thank you." Jennifer stared as the book did as it was told then she pulled off her spectacles.

"Am I to understand that you are seriously considering sitting through my Items class?" Jennifer asked in disbelief.

"Considering, no. Am I going to do so, yes, just as you are going to sit through my Ancient Magic course," Severus said firmly.

"But… don't you think that's a bit… well… unorthodox?" Jennifer asked carefully.

"Since when do you care?" Severus baited expressionlessly. "Intimidated, are we?"

"Well… it's just… having you in the class like that would… yes, it would be a bit intimidating, yes," Jennifer admitted, flustered.

"Very well, then," Severus said, turning around his appointment book. "Show me exactly when we can set aside uninterrupted time to teach one another that isn't going to conflict with this year's scheduling, and I'll drop the idea."

"Well… there are always evenings, Severus…" Jennifer said. Severus raised a brow, but before he could comment, Quintin did it for him.

"Ba-ba!" Quintin informed them.

"You were saying?" Severus challenged her. Jennifer grimaced and got up while Severus glanced at the clock on his desk with a frown. "Well, either he is two minutes early or my desk clock is running two minutes slow," he observed, pulling out his watch with a frown. Putting it back, Severus picked up his desk clock so that he could fix it and then turned over the tray for dinner.

* * *

><p>Helena and Veronica walked out of the Slytherin rooms and into the tunnels, Veronica still yawning sleepily.<p>

"Do you suppose any other Owls are coming?" Ronnie asked.

"Pimra for sure, and I think Paula said something about it, too. You can probably sit with her being that its her first year for the class as well; Professor Craw likes to put all the newer students towards the front," Helena explained.

"Hey, wait up!" called out someone behind them. Helena turned to see Cain Hinge hurry up to them. "Do you have Items Creation?"

"Yeah, come on," Helena said.

"Surprised to see you here. I didn't even know you were interested in items," Ronnie said.

"Professor Weasley recommended it on account of my scores in Charms," Cain replied. "You?"  
>"Professor Andrew," Ronnie said. "What about you, Helena?"<p>

"Actually, this is my second year of it. It's a career requirement since I want to go into spell development," Helena explained.

"Nice, rough to get one of those licenses though," Cain said.

"Tell me about it," Helena sighed. "Any thoughts to what you want do yet?"

"Not really," Cain admitted.

"My father wants me to go into Magical Industries. I'm really not sure I want to, but I just can't think of anything more interesting to do," Ronnie said, the three of them walking in and straight over to the breakfast cart.

"You should ask Librarian Boulderdash," Helena suggested, getting her coffee. "That's who I went to when I got stuck. There is lots of career material in the library, and even then he sometimes suggests things you might not think of."

"Trust a goblin to know all the thousand and one ways to make money," Cain snorted, grabbing a roll.

As they turned around to head to their seats, the three students stopped cold as Headmaster Snape strode in, frowning at the desks and then at the three students standing at the cart. He then squinted at the cart itself. Helena quickly found a seat by Pimra and Paula, while Ronnie went to the front of the class. Cain opted to take a seat at the table at the other end of the front row by himself, in hopes of the class having an odd number of students. Those that came in behind the Headmaster couldn't help but hesitate when they saw him standing to the far side of the class with his arms folded. They glanced forlornly towards the breakfast table but wisely decided to head towards the tables, looking for potential partners to sit with.

Just then Professor Craw came in with papers in hand, smiling warmly at them and ignoring the Headmaster's presence completely.

"Good morning, everyone! I hope you managed to get enough sleep. If this is your first year taking this class, I'd prefer it if you sat near the front since we'll be going over certain things that students repeating the course will have covered, but otherwise sit wherever you like," Professor Craw said, setting the papers down on her desk.

Cain glanced over when someone sat down beside him at the table, nearly jumping out of his seat in surprise when he saw it was the Headmaster, who was taking out his spectacles and inspecting them before setting down a notebook on the table.

"Problem, Mr. Hinge?" Snape asked quietly. Cain quickly shut his mouth and turned around to the front. He couldn't help but notice that quite a number of the other students were staring in his direction as well.

"Ronnie, do you have your note from Professor Andrew?" Craw asked, and Veronica fished it out of her notebook. "Thank you. Helena, could you gather up the project proposals from those who were supposed to have them done? Now, who is into composites?" she asked, pausing to hand out a few small paperbound books to them before going proceeding to those in minerals, metals, and then finally woods. As the rest of the class were grabbing materials, Professor Craw handed out with two small strips and a large strip of sanded balsa wood to everyone in the front two rows, including Professor Snape. Cain glanced at him sideways, but then turned back to the front.

"We're going to work on a few basic items together today as a group, so that I can show the basics of single-purpose item enchanting. We'll start by making a small pendant, then a skeleton key and then, as long as everyone has kept up, we should have time to start on small charmed boxes today. First, let's go over the first few pages of your booklet," Jennifer said, opening a copy of her own.

Cain sighed and did his best to concentrate on the instruction, but he couldn't help peering over at the Headmaster's finished pendant with a frown, comparing it to his own. The skeleton key was even trickier to make although the charm itself was simple. He got so caught up with it that he nearly forgot who he was sitting by until Professor Craw came over to check on them. That was when Professor Snape began asking questions on wood properties and the effect of wands and their components had on the charms, as well as other factors that Cain hadn't even imagined.

"Go ahead and measure out that last piece of wood for your boxes, then store them in the cubby with your names on it for next week," Professor Craw said. "You might want to begin thinking up a wooden project to work on after we finish the boxes. If you need ideas, there are a few in the back of your book you can choose from or I can offer some as well, but you'll need to have a project proposal within two weeks in case we need to make changes." She then went back to the back to check on the others as they worked on cutting the rest of the wood. Finally the hour was over and a wave of relief went through the entire classroom, as even her best students seemed to be in a hurry to put their projects away so that they can leave. As they walked over to the shelves, many of them grimaced when they noticed that the last shelf had the Headmaster's name on it in bright gold letters.

With only the briefest of statements that he had an appointment for lunch, Severus followed the rest of them out. Jennifer quickly retreated to her office, shut the door, and shifted books around until she found the bottle of Wailing Inis. As she poured herself a glass, she caught the reflection of the Severus portrait in the mirror, frowning at her in disapproval.

"Trust me, this counts as an emergency," Jennifer said dryly, downing the whisky before getting ready for her next class.

That weekend nearly everyone had been talking about the 'odd classroom incident', even at the event boards where many students stood and chatted while waiting to sign up for events.

By the following Thursday, the furor had died down… until just after lunch, when Professor Craw stepped into the Ancient Magic classroom and paused thoughtfully, looking at the seating. Maurice walked in and Jennifer smiled, for it made it easy to find her place. Realizing almost instantly what she was waiting for, Maurice shifted one desk over and she sat beside him, everyone else hurriedly shifting over a spot to make room.

It felt strange to Maurice to see her sitting there, and yet at the same time, it was rather nice too, Maurice decided. Jennifer smiled warmly at him and nodded in acknowledgement before she dutifully faced forward with her hands folded over her notebook.

A moment later, Descartes flew in the open window and got settled, making annoying scratching noises as he picked through his feathers and sharpened his beak at the same time. Not long after, Snape strode in with only a quick glance to make sure everyone was present.

"Pass up your homework. We have a lot to get through today, for I have decided that I would like to cover temporal magic before we break for the winter holiday, which means we will have to cover one ancient form a week to be able to do so. First we'll have a quick oral exam on your notes from last week, which I'm sure you all studied, since this is an elective class and therefore you are taking it of your own free will… most of you, anyway…" Snape added for good measure, earning an amused expression from his wife. He picked up the homework and quickly counted them before tossing it on his desk and picking up a different sheet of paper. "Very well, let's see if you remember what studies fall into the category of Ancient Magic and why… Miss Applegate?"

Snape drummed his fingers against his notebook impatiently as Emily answered cautiously, as if a bit afraid she was going to make a mistake. Fortunately, the next three answered glibly enough, especially Maurice and Jennifer. The first mistake wasn't made until the second row, and then it was obvious from the answer that the boy had at least attempted to study, and then later came wrong answers from two other students who probably hadn't taken enough notes to begin with. It was sure to doom their score considering the rest of the questions he had were in much more detail, but hopefully the experience would give them a reason to write more precise notes after this. At least they all seemed to have a notebook dedicated to the subject now, he mused, going through his second list of questions. They were going much slower; only Maurice and Jennifer had a ready answer as they thought over their notes and perhaps even trying to recall the lecture itself. Half of the class watched with interest, while the rest of the class looked rather bored with it all. But Jennifer was always quite content, giving all the students an encouraging smile in turn before answering her own question quickly as if eager to see what the next question would be.

It wasn't until after he had gotten to the back row on the third question that he realized that something about that should have bothered him. He wandered around a bit as he finished the last of the questions, then on a whim decided to do one more round, despite the fact that he had been originally intending to ask three.

"Mr. Craw, what basic differentiation is there between Wild Magic and Ancient Magic?" Snape asked, glancing in his direction but still wandering back and forth in front of the class.

"Wild Magic, or life magic, is dependant on living or organic material to function, while Ancient Magic is powered by raw energy," Maurice said. "Whether its potential energy, like in items using ancient magic, or in the energy of the caster."

"Correct," Snape said, wandering towards his desk and turning his back to the class. "Professor Craw, why is temporal magic considered Ancient Magic instead of Wild Magic?"

Jennifer cleared her throat, and Severus, facing the other way, couldn't help but roll his eyes, barely keeping himself from shaking his head at the sudden hesitation after she had been answering so quickly before.

"Could you repeat the question, please?" Jennifer asked almost flirtatiously, but there was no way Snape was going to turn around.

"Why is temporal magic considered Ancient Magic instead of Wild Magic?" he repeated calmly, making a play at checking something on his desk.

"Well, in… in Wild Magic, based on life…I suppose it's because time is considered a constant scale, where in Ancient Magic, it… isn't," Jennifer said slowly.

"Isn't what? A bit more specific?" Snape asked. But Jennifer wasn't quite sure what exactly he wanted. Glancing at Maurice uncertainly, he smiled at her encouragingly.

"Since Ancient Magic is older than Wild Magic, at least as we understand it in our relative area of the universe, time cannot use the process of life as a scale and therefore exists outside of it. Because it cannot be measured, all temporal magic must be gauged going out from a point, that point being the present, rather than the linear scale we are used to dealing with in everyday life," Jennifer finished triumphantly.

Snape whirled around to stare at her, and then happened to notice Maurice shifting to face forward. Squinting, Snape looked between them.

"Professor Craw, where are your spectacles?" Snape asked flatly. Jennifer turned bright red.

"Oh…um… here," Jennifer said, fishing in her pocket.

"From now on I expect you to have them on just before you enter this classroom until after you leave it, I won't stand for any student to come to my classes unprepared, that includes any faculty that happens to decide to sit in. Is that clear?" Snape said sternly.

"Yes, Professor Snape," Jennifer said sheepishly, putting them on.

"_All_ the way on, Professor Craw," Snape said dangerously. Grimacing, Jennifer pushed her spectacles up, and Snape continued to the next student, well aware of Jennifer's glum attitude and lack of interest in the other students now as he finished out the test.

Professor Snape then started on his lecture on elemental magic, too focused on what he was writing on the board to notice exactly when her spectacles slid down to the end of her nose so she could see his face clearly. It was then he realized as he turned back to the board and made a play at looking at his notes that what she had been doing hadn't been completely intentional; she was simply focusing on the meanings behind his words and lecture rather than listening to what he was saying. That was why she picked up things so quickly, he mused, deciding not to comment on the position of her spectacles as he continued his lecture. He simply had never thought of the fact that Jennifer processed information quite differently because he had never seen her in this sort of environment before. Had Aurelius done the same, he wondered, thinking of how well he had done on tests. Partially, Severus admitted to himself, but because he had blocked it off for so long, Aurelius had also pushed himself harder than the normal student since he had to learn other methods rather than what would have been natural to him under normal circumstances. It was rather like their use of mirrors to organize their own thoughts… but in a classroom situation, the instructor and to some extent the other students that she was watching so intently had in essence become her mirrors.

It was when he took a step back so that they could copy notes that he realized he was going to need to find a way to adjust, for it wouldn't be long before another Truth Seeker would be coming to Hogwarts using the same sorts of techniques to learn things. Severus risked a glance around to see that all of the class, including Jennifer, were hard at work finishing the last few lines, and she hadn't seemed to notice his pauses now and again as he was thinking things through. On a whim, he decided to walk through the classroom to look over shoulders at what they had written down, and was not surprised to find that Jennifer had written in points that he hadn't spoken out loud. As fascinating as it was, he knew he was still going to have to do something about what had occurred during the test. Glancing at the time, he erased the board with a flick of the wand and made his last two points of the day and writing down their homework assignment at the end of it.

"Spend the rest of the period finishing your notes and copying down your homework assignment. Professor Craw, would you please stay after class for a moment?" Snape said, striding over to his desk to put his notes in his folder and make sure his stack of homework to mark was alphabetized.

Jennifer nodded, hoping the reason was not what she thought might be the reason as she copied down her work and put her own notebook in order. As the class began to file out and Jennifer stepped over, he pointed in front of the desk rather than behind it and she grimaced, knowing for certain now it was the reason she had been worrying about. Snape then put his clipboard down, showing the results of the results of the oral quiz from that morning. Although the other students' marks were blurred, the zero next her name was quite prominent.

"Do you know why this is your score for the exam today, Professor Craw?" Snape asked expressionlessly. Grimacing, Jennifer nodded apologetically. "Good. That's thirty points off Ravenclaw, by the way…"

"Thirty!" Jennifer cried out in surprise.

"A house advisor should be setting a good example both in and out of the classroom. And I had better not see any more roving eyes or pushed down classes during any of my tests oral or written, nor any side glances to fellow students either while those glasses or down. If I ever catch you cheating again, you will be put in detention," Snape said.

"Fine, but I reserve the right to do the same to you if you ever act up in my class," Jennifer said, a bit flustered.

"Shall I take another ten points off for talking back?" Snape warned her.

"May I go now?" Jennifer asked. "I do have a class to prepare for."

"Very well, but I suggest that you do not take this conversation out of this classroom. I highly doubt that you would like the professional discussion that would follow," he warned seriously.

"Fine," Jennifer said primly, and he waved her for the door. Jennifer picked up her notebook and left with her nose in the air, waiting until she had gotten out of the door's view before turning around and sticking her tongue out in the direction of the classroom. She heard a soft laugh and looked around to find Maurice standing near by, apparently waiting for her.

"Was he giving you a hard time?" Maurice asked.

"Oh, well, nothing I didn't deserve," Jennifer admitted. "In fact, he was probably a bit easy on me. Did you need something?"

"I was rather wondering if the two of you sitting in the other's specialty classes like you did this week is a one time thing or you plan to do it for a while," Maurice said.

"All term, more than likely, considering how little time we have for such studies outside of a classroom," Jennifer said.

"Does this have something to do with that Erase curse everyone is worried about?" Maurice asked.

"As a matter of fact," Jennifer said with a sigh. "We're hoping to develop a protection item to negate it."

"But I thought Rel and my father were already working on a countercharm for that," Maurice said.

"They are, and from what I have heard they've made a great deal of progress, although there isn't a safe way to really test it," Jennifer explained. "But if we can come up with a protection item that anchors us to the present, we can prevent the spell from affecting us, even if we're caught unawares."

"Sounds brilliant, although for some reason I think it'd be way more difficult to make something like than then to make a necklace protecting against flame and heat or something," Maurice decided.

"As far as we know, what we're doing has never been tried before, nor has anyone needed a reason," Jennifer explained. "It's going to take a vast amount of knowledge in both items creation and Ancient Magic to pull it off, so it'll need to be a joint effort between Severus and I to do it. The trouble is that although we've both picked up some knowledge of what the other's specialties can and can't do over the years, we're having trouble… well, getting on the same page as to what's needed to accomplish this, because I don't have enough basic understanding of his specialty and vice versa. And since our time is so short this year with the Olympics…"

"I see. It all makes perfect sense, really. Cain didn't know what was going on. He said being in your items class was like sitting on pins and needles," Maurice said.

"I did notice that," Jennifer admitted with an amused expression. "But I'm sure the Headmaster will be on his best behavior, and hopefully the students will get used to his presence in the classroom enough so it won't distract them so badly."

"Maybe, but I doubt it," Maurice admitted. "Anyway, since you have to take the class all year, I don't suppose you'd want to study together?"

"Study? With me?" Jennifer said in surprise.

"I can easily spare a lunch hour to study with my sister," Maurice said, shrugging unconcernedly.

"Oh," Jennifer said, her intended arguments immediately forgotten. "Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I can too. Lunch on Wednesdays, then, my office?"

"Certainly. I'll make sure I'm free," Maurice agreed, excusing himself to head to his next class. Chuckling softly to herself, Jennifer turned towards the back stairs.


	7. Discovery in the Lake

Chapter Seven

Discovery in the Lake

By the end of the second week of school, all of the votes had been finalized, and the Order of the Owls had a full table again. Chuck Willowby, Amy Weasley, and Chris Parker were all there, along with Keir Box from Slytherin and three girls from Hufflepuff; Diana Kitane, a second year who was a very quiet girl who seemed to show very little expression about anything, Summer Mitchell, a first year, also quiet but with a kind smile, and at the end sat Karen Fischer, a second year, who was rather excited about everything, especially about being invited.

"We're going to have just loads of fun, I can tell already," Karen said enthusiastically, looking over the duty board. "I signed up to help with three events so far."

"Careful not to leave yourself too strapped for time, Karen. We do have to keep up with our studies along with everything else," Garvan reminded her.

"That's all right, I have it worked out so it's manageable. Some of these sports are obviously going to be held only in the winter months while some of them will be for warmer times of the year. It's easier to help with more than one if you space out the schedule," Karen explained.

"That's true, that's how I'm participating in so many events myself," Kim said. "I made sure they're at different times of the year. What are you taking, Mike?"

"Most of the students in my fitness class were encouraged to take some track and field, but I'll also have football on top of that," Mike said.

"What's track and field like when you're a wizard? Is it the same as ours?" Chris asked curiously.

"Well, it's mostly running, jumping, throwing, that sort of thing," Mike explained.

"That sounds similar enough…"  
>"Jousting," Maurice added as he walked into the door and sat down.<p>

"Jousting?" Chris repeated incredulously. "On a horse?"

"No, on brooms," Maurice said. "I'm not sure I want to do that one or the Candle Jumping competition. I think I'll do Precision Casting, though."

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"It's rather like Archery using a wand," Chuck explained.

"Oh, that's all right then," Chris decided.

"There's also a special contest for those competing in six of the field events, too, but I've decided what with sparring and Quidditch there's no way I can find the time for all of that, especially since I want to do the Wizards of MC tournament this winter as well," Maurice explained.

"That and Quidditch is more than enough for me," Garvan protested. "And maybe that precision thing."

"I want to sign up for that card tournament too," Chuck put in. "And maybe chess."

"Do you suppose many will sign up for Wizard Go?" Jessica asked thoughtfully, still looking at the list with a pen in her hand.

"What's that?" Hope asked.

"It's a strategy game played with stones on a grid. Professor Scribe has been teaching us how to play," Jessica explained. "I think I'm going to sign up just because I doubt very many other people are doing it."  
>"Let's just hope everyone else doesn't get the same idea and sign up for the exact same reason," Paula teased. "What are you signing up for, Diana?"<p>

"Swimming," she said simply.

"You should have time to pick something up too, then, since those are in the spring," Paula said.

"A couple of them aren't, they're hoping to get Broom Surfing and obstacle course before the frost," Leu said. "I'm going to be spending most this weekend under the lake."

"But what about the Kraken?" Summer asked nervously.

"Doctor Sagittari is going to make sure they're in their lairs first, but they're fairly friendly once you get used to them," Leu explained.

"Fairly friendly?" Keir repeated in disbelief.

"Well, be careful, Llewellyn," Maurice said. "Even if the Kraken are under control and considering your talents, I'm quite sure there are still dangers down there."

"I will, Uncle Maurice," Leu said solemnly. "I think I'd better go to my room to do the rest of my reading since I won't have much time this weekend."

"Probably a good idea," Maurice agreed. "Good night."

"Good night, everyone," Leu said, getting a smattering of replies as he left.

Upstairs, he got a happy croak for a greeting, and a floating quill over the table paused when he entered his room.

"Oh, hullo. You're back early," Noah's voice said, still holding the quill when he materialized.

"I came to study with you since I have to be out in the lake all day tomorrow," Leu explained.

"I really wish you wouldn't go to the lake," Noah frowned. "It isn't safe."

"I'll be perfectly safe. Andrew, Commander Bellamy, and Doctor Sagittari will all be nearby, not to mention Copper will be with me," Leu added. Copper croaked enthusiastically. "Really, I feel more at home in the water than I do anywhere else. I'm more in control, you see." Noah looked up thoughtfully.

"Why don't you feel in control here? Is it all the class work?" Noah asked.

"No, it isn't that," Leu said, putting his books on the table and sitting down. "I just want everyone to stop doing things for me. I'm obligated to enough people as it is."

"I doubt they are trying to make you feel obligated. I'm sure they're just trying to be nice," Noah said.

"I'd rather they didn't," Leu admitted, turning to his books. Noah frowned, glancing at his book for a moment before looking up again.

"Do you think I'm too nice?" Noah asked.

"No, of course not. You've never given or asked me for anything," Leu said.

"Rather hard to give anyone anything when you're dead," Noah said, chuckling softly. "What about Keir?"

"Keir doesn't give anything without asking for something in exchange. He's all right too, that's why you two are my best mates. Really, don't worry about it; it's a personal thing. Let's just get this done so we can turn in," Leu suggested.

"All right," Noah agreed, turning to the same subject that Leu was working on.

When Leu arrived at the lake the next morning, it was obvious just from their appearance that Bellamy and Sagittari had been up for hours, while Andrew stood yawning as if having just decided to roll out of bed.

"Ah, there's the volunteer! Nice wetsuit, Murphy!" Bellamy complemented from where he sat on a floating platform not far out from the boathouse. He was in a wetsuit as well, obviously military issue. "Goblin made, isn't it?" Leu nodded, but didn't say anything because Doctor Sagittari was coaxing him to take a phial from him.

"Here, Mr. Murphy, it's a preventative potion in case you happen to get yourself cut or come in contact with any other sorts of things that might cause an infection," Sagittari said.

"I rather don't think I will. I do know what I am doing," Leu protested, reluctantly taking the phial.

"It is my job to make sure you don't take any unnecessary chances, Mr. Murphy. The Commander will be down there as well both to work on some of the obstacles as well as act as your spotter. Take this so that you might signal if you need help," he added, handing him a signaling device on a necklace. It was a small circular mirror with its own light source, very much like Leu had used before when he was diving for the excavation company. Putting it on let loose a flood of memories, but he simply nodded to indicate he was ready.

"Be careful, brother. Don't hesitate to ask for help if you find something odd or need help bringing something up," Andrew advised from the docks, where he was putting together some of the obstacles needed for the course "I have lines set up so we can drag any large junk that needs cleared out of the way."

"All right, I'll let you know if I find anything," Leu agreed, grabbing a fine mesh bag and jumping in the water. It was cold at first, but his wetsuit was designed to compensate and quickly regulated the temperature for him as he dove down deeper.

The area where Bellamy was working was relatively clean; it was the larger part of the basin. Except for some freshwater mollusks and bottom dwellers, the area seemed quite groomed, whether by the currents or some of the odd species of creatures that lived there, Leu wasn't quite sure. But the area around the boathouse had a lot of scattered bits and bobs and junk that had accumulated over the years. Leu swam up long enough to get a hand rake from Andrew and went back down to put it in better order.

As he worked closer to the school's end of the lake, the debris got worse. Much of it was rubble and some old rotting wood… too much to move and Leu was quite sure that no one would to use that particular section of the lake without major work. Leu was skirting around the worst of the debris when he thought he saw a glint in the pile and went to investigate. As he cleared away some of the sediment, he stared in amazement into what appeared to be a large round agate. Suddenly, the stone around the agate seemed to blink. In surprise and terror Leu swam away from it, afraid that whatever moved could somehow break free from the debris. He coasted in the water for some time, frowning when nothing happened. Had he imagined it, he wondered, cautiously swimming closer for another look. That was when he recognized a sculpted stone wing and what looked like a shoulder. He swam up to the surface, signaling.

"Professor Andrew! A signal," Bellamy called out. Andrew squinted to try to make out where he was pointing.

"What in blazes is he doing all the way over there?" Andrew asked.

"Apparently he's found something in the rubble over there. I'll go check on it," Bellamy volunteered, diving into the water. Andrew followed the shore around until it met up with the castle, looking up thoughtfully at the four shuttered windows just above the lake before glancing back down at the water. A few minutes later, both Bellamy and Leu surfaced.

"Nothing to be too alarmed about, sir. One of the castle gargoyles seems to be buried in a pile of rubble out here," Bellamy called out.

"I know where the rubble came from. It's part of the castle wall from when the lab blew," Andrew shouted back. "The gargoyle must have been caught up in the explosion. Any way to get it out?"

"Perhaps, although it's hard to say if it's in one piece. Not much of it is visible," Bellamy answered.

"The gargoyles are connected to the school security, and there's a possibility that it's still active. We should try to bring it up if it's possible," Andrew replied.

"Murphy, lad, swim over to Professor Andrew. I'd rather you not be in the way when I lift this debris up," Bellamy said, pulling out a wand bag around his neck.

Leu nodded and swam out of the way, Andrew helping him up on shore just as large chucks of rock and debris began floating out of the lake, hovering in midair. Bellamy dove again, and several minutes passed before he reemerged much closer to them. Tapping his wand, the debris fell back into the water with a splash.

"Got it?" Andrew asked, leaning over the edge of the water.

"Aye, Professor. And it seems to be in tact, if a bit slimy," Bellamy informed him, climbing onto shore and holding up a mesh of ropes. Adding his own charms to Bellamy's, Andrew and the commander pulled the gargoyle closer to shore and finally pulled it face first onto the bank. As they attempted to recover from their efforts, Andrew thought he saw one of the wings move.

"We had better get my father down here. I think the gargoyle still active," Andrew warned.

"Should I stay here and watch over it?" Bellamy ventured, frowning at it suspiciously after a wave of his wand further confirmed that an aura of grey magic radiated from the statue.

"Probably not a bad idea," Andrew agreed, wondering why he was getting such an odd feeling about it as he hurried towards the stairs. "Leu, why don't you break for lunch? Sagittari's bound to have a basket ready for us over there. I'll go get the Headmaster and be back in a few minutes."

"All right," Leu said, returning to the docks to find a basket already sitting next to the shore.

Despite his promise, Andrew didn't return right away, but it wasn't long after Leu had finished eating that Sagittari returned, suggesting that Leu help him dispose of everything that had been brought up so far and giving Leu's stomach plenty of time to settle.

When he was allowed to go back into the lake, Sagittari asked him to finished cleaning up around the docks. It did have to be done, Leu agreed, and it was going to take a couple of hours to do just by itself, but Leu couldn't help but wonder if the real reason he was working on it was to keep him away from where he had found the gargoyle earlier.

It was the middle of the afternoon before Sagittari decided to call it a day, Bellamy arriving just in time to check their progress.

"The course shouldn't wind too close to the school, Murphy, and you did a good job on the areas around the borders of the course. If you have a couple hours in the morning tomorrow, you can help me finish setting up the obstacles," Bellamy said.

"I can try, as long as it doesn't run into Quidditch tryouts," Leu said.

"Considering I have to be there myself, it isn't likely to happen," Bellamy chuckled.

"I'll be here then," Leu agreed.

"Please let Noah know that I was able to find him an appropriate mount for Bridle Club when you see him," Sagittari said.

"All right," Leu said.

Leu decided to wander around to the other side of the grounds, remembering that football had their tryouts that day. Pimra waved to him as he walked onto the field, kicking the ball over to Kim.

"Hi, Leu! Mike is on the other side of the field if you're planning on trying out. You know how to play, don't you?"

"Yes, Lucky taught me, but I wasn't planning on it. I was just looking for Madame Brittle to ask her about hurling tryouts," Leu explained, but then glanced over at everyone on the pitch. "It seems strange Lucky not being here, though."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Some of us miss here out here too… yelling… cussing…" Pimra joked. "How is she doing, by the way?"

"I haven't had time to write her since I got here. I suppose I should go do that, actually," Leu decided.

"Well, let her know that from what I've been seeing, Hufflepuff is going to be our toughest competition this year," Pimra said. "Gryffindor is having a building year."

"She won't like to hear that," Leu decided. Pimra grinned, but then suddenly her expression turned serious.

"Uh oh, that looks like trouble," Pimra warned as Professor Willowby stormed towards the field, glaring furiously towards where the Gryffindors were practicing.

"CHARLES ATHOS WILLOWBY!" Rose shouted furiously.

Chuck froze mid-step, the ball hitting him and deflecting off without fazing him. He knew that was the least of his troubles, for his mother hardly ever called him by his full name.

"You had better go straight to my office before I take you by the ear, I don't care how many people are watching! I warned you not to get in trouble again!" she raved, even though Chuck was scrambling to do what he was told but without getting too close to her. "Wait until I tell your father!"

"I wonder what he did this time," Leu murmured.

"Let's ask Hope," Pimra suggested, hurrying over to where Hope stood with a ball under her foot. "Is your brother all right, Hope?"

"Not for much longer," Hope snorted. "He should know better than to push his luck when our Mum's out of sorts already."

"What did he do?" Pimra asked in a low voice.

"Apparently last night he sabotaged Professor Sinistra's telescope, wrapped it in black paper and put pinholes through it to try and prove just how much rubbish Astrology is hoping to get her to start making funny predictions," Hope explained. "She caught it right away, of course, and I hear she wasn't happy."

"No, I expect not," Pimra chuckled, but grew serious when Hope gave her a dirty look. "You know, I was rather hoping he'd curb this sort of thing now that he's an Owl."

"Apparently he's still bored," Hope said. "Nat and I don't really know what to do anymore."

"I expect we should just let the professors worry about it," Pimra said.

"I suppose, although I think he rather likes it when they worry about it," Hope admitted.

* * *

><p>Severus studied the moss-covered gargoyle, casting a few spells of his own before growing thoughtful.<p>

"Is it off one of the towers?" Andrew asked.

"No, it's too large for that. The ones on the towers and parapets are smaller, although they have similar features. This one is larger than any of the door guards with the exception of my own, so it was definitely created to be a door guard. All the door guards have different traits as well, from the Ravenclaw statue to mine, Sassashin and Atrocious… it'll take time to figure out where this one fits into the mix. I am more than a little concerned that it seems to still be active. I need time to research it and have Jennifer evaluate it as well, but that means finding somewhere to put it that students won't run into the thing," Severus said thoughtfully.

"Chamber?" Andrew suggested.

"Dear lord, no, that's the first place they'd find it," Severus said with such conviction that Andrew laughed softly. "Put it in the guard wing on the fourth floor… nobody ever goes down that corridor anymore." He heard his name called and glanced around to see Jennifer walking over to them. "Jennifer, do you have time to take a look at this thing? We're going to store it for now, but I would like to find out what sort of guard spells are embedded in it."

"Of course, Severus, although I'm actually here to fetch you to the Headmaster's Study. I have Charles the Third there waiting for a conference over that business last night," Jennifer explained.

"I thought Hermione told me she was going to handle that…" Severus frowned.

"Yes, that was before Rose found out about it. You did say if it happened again…"

"I see. Straight into furious mother mode again?"

"Worse than I ever got," Jennifer said.

"For some reason I highly doubt that, but I will intervene anyway," Severus said. Jennifer put her hands on her hips as she watched him stride towards the castle.

"I doubt it too," Andrew put in, Jennifer glaring at his amused expression. "I don't suppose you'd help me get this thing to the fourth floor?"

"The fourth floor? Not exactly secure, is it?" Jennifer said, but Andrew simply shrugged as the two of them ran tests to see if could be safely minimized or lightened.

Hermione was in less than stellar humor, sighing deeply where she stood near the doors of the Headmaster's Study while Rose took turns pacing and glaring at her son. Charles sat in front of the desk, attempting to shut the world out.

"Honestly, I don't see why we have to bother Severus with this matter, I'm sure he has enough to do…"

"We were under strict instructions on what to do if his behavior got out of control, again, Rose, so I think he'd be more bothered if we didn't wait for him," Hermione said for the third time. Finally Severus stepped into the room, sparing only a glance at Hermione and Rose before striding over to his desk and sitting down.

"It seems someone has been having a busy year," Severus said calmly, putting a hand out towards Hermione. Hermione handed him a folder and he opened it. "Four detentions, and we haven't even started the third week yet. I haven't seen point losses like these since the Black twins went to school. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a single individual's point losses this high since your father's first year here." Rose blinked in obvious surprise, while Hermione suppressed an exasperated grin. Charles simply gazed at him.

"Yes, well, I really don't care about all that," Severus waved unconcernedly. "Professor Weasley can deal with it, and although I might recommend some intervention from your Owl adviser as well, it's really none of my affair. I am, however, concerned about the numerous complaints by my staff that you are not turning in any assignments and have not done so since the start of the year. I realize, of course, that such a matter would normally be brought to the attention of parents, especially when it is this extreme. However, since you have been taking advantage of the fact that one of your parents is a member of this staff, it seems that I am now forced to intervene. Regardless of what sort of messes he gets into, I will be handling all of Mr. Willowby's detentions for the entire year. Furthermore, so that matters do not get any more out of hand than they already are, every missed assignment from Mr. Willowby will be an automatic detention, regardless of what reason, and regardless how many points any professor will or will not deduct from it. I am not prepared to have another reigning terror of Gryffindor, regardless of any genetics that may predispose a child to the title. Professor Weasley," Severus said, forcing Hermione to hide her smirk and look serious. "Make certain the staff knows about the situation, and feel free to do whatever you can to make sure his behavior outside of the homework problem doesn't go any further."

"I'll get with the upper third and arrange escorts to and from classes and activities then," Hermione agreed. "What events are you participating in?"

"Football and Snow Forts," Charles said. "Maybe precision."

"More than likely you won't have time for so many, considering your current track record," Snape warned.

"I'd rather not drop them, especially since Hope and Nat are both doing it too…"

"Then I suggest you work at getting your assignments in order, no matter _how_ boring you think they are. If you feel you need more of a challenge, I will sign off on Professor Craw and Weasley's suggestion to put you in her Items class, as well as Ancient Magic, but there had better be some improvement in how things are going or you will find this is going to be a very long year," Severus warned.

"Yes, sir," Charles said quietly.

"Fine. Professor Weasley, you may escort him out now. Professor Willowby, please stay for a moment," Severus said. Rose sighed, watching the two of them leave before sitting down. "I take it from your expression during that conversation that you do not approve of how I handled that."

"Well, I don't see why you felt you had to step in, and it was a bit harsh," Rose said.

"Harsher than threatening his life and limb, banning him from Christmas, broom, coin and whatever else you were probably throwing at him this morning when you found out about it?" Severus challenged her, Rose grimacing in response. "Yes, well, I'm not here to criticize your parenting, either. Feel free to threaten as you like; I've done my fair share over the decades I've been at this silly parenting business. That said, I hope that you understand that what you are doing is parenting and not teaching in any way, shape, or form."

"I can think of a time or two when you've done it before," Rose said.

"Yes, although Jennifer nearly always beat me to it… like when you and my daughter ended up in the Chamber of Secrets," Severus said dryly.

"I remember that. I had never seen her so furious before, it very much surprised me," Rose murmured, thinking back.

"Yes, and I'm certain that some of your students are thinking the same thing about you after this morning," Severus said. Rose grimaced, her defensiveness fading and her expression turning apologetic. "Dumbledore stepped in many a time when he thought that our parenting was getting in the way of our teaching, and it was quite a trial to learn how to separate the two. Even when we finally adapted, there were times when we still failed utterly to do so," he admitted dryly. "That said, there were two of us working here, and in that you have a slight advantage. Let Corey handle the parent decisions when they come up, and concentrate on your teaching, regardless of who the errant student is."

Rose thought about it with a frown. Finally, she sighed.

"Well, I can see why it is a good idea, although usually I'm the one who handles the discipline at home…"

"Then it'll be mutually beneficial to both of you," Severus decided.

"Maybe, it won't be easy, but then…"

"Nothing worthwhile ever is," Severus said, Rose repeating it along with him with a soft chuckle.

"Yes, I know. All right, Professor, I'll do my best, and I'll talk to him about it when I get home," Rose agreed.

"Thank you," Severus said, nodding a goodbye as she left.

He had barely finished organizing his desk into priority stacks when Jennifer peered in from his sitting room.

"All done?" she asked.

"Has the gargoyle been moved?" Severus asked, glancing up to see her walk in with Quintin.

"Yes, but Father dropped Quintin off and I still need to run some tests on it before I can secure it. I don't suppose you're planning on being in here for a while?" Jennifer asked.

Severus pulled the lever in reply and the bookcases pushed aside, showing the nursery door. The Sorting Hat, which was sitting on the top edge of one of the bookshelves, appeared as if it were a little dizzy. Jennifer chuckled softly at it, pulling Quintin back when he reached out eagerly for it.

"No, best let him be, he's rattled enough as it is," Jennifer said in amusement, opening the door and getting him settled in his play area. "Father says Quintin has eaten and I've just changed him so I'll doubt he'll need anything for a bit. It'll probably only take me a half an hour unless Andrew and I find something extraordinary."

"I would be more surprised if you didn't. I'm not certain there's anything in this castle that isn't extraordinary in some way," Severus said, going through the bottom of his desk door for the castle security records he had found when he was researching the nursery. "I'll see if there isn't anything written down about the gargoyle in the meantime."

"Yes, it does make sense that they'd have written down, considering that I think all the statues and gargoyles have been here since then," Jennifer agreed, wondering if she had ever seen anything about it. "I'll be back as soon as I can, although I warn you I have a ton of papers to mark before my first class tomorrow."

"Why would I need to be warned of that?" Severus said expressionlessly. But Jennifer simply smiled at him knowingly and left the way she came. "Albus, would you mind getting the Time Turner out of the safe? I expect I'm going to need it." The portrait of Albus peered towards the curtain and back up at him searchingly. "No, not for that… at least not just for that, thank you. I'm going to need extra time to get Charles on the right track and still keep up on this insane schedule we're on because of the fundraising events." Nodding in agreement that it sounded like a good use of time, the portrait took the Time Turner and got it out of his pocket and setting it on the frame where Severus picked it up and put it around his neck. "Now, to get my own class papers marked," Severus said with determination and was about to sit back down at his desk when he heard a loud, hysterical, almost infectious laughter coming from the nursery.

Curiously, Severus peered around the corner, mildly surprised to see the somehow Quintin had managed to get a hold of the Sorting Hat, which was pulled over his head to where only his chin showed. Grinning wildly, Quintin lifted the hat back up, and the Sorting Hat leaned over as if to look at him over the brim.

"Peek-a-boo!" said the Sorting Hat, inspiring another round of hysterical laughter before the Hat dropped back over the baby's head again. After a moment, Quintin slowly lifted it back up again. "Peek-a-boo!" the Sorting Hat said, inspiring another round of squealing laughter. Severus laughed softly until he caught himself, smirking and shaking his head. Deciding to leave them to keep each other amused for a while, he went back to his work.


	8. The Gargoyle

Chapter Eight

The Gargoyle

It was just after midnight, and nearly all of the castle's inhabitants were fast asleep. There was little movement on the fourth floor. The dust was heavy except for a lone path down the corridor that led to a stairwell and several rooms joined together, which had once been used as an armory and training grounds back when the neighboring knights and lords still fought each other. And although the rooms near the stairs had been reclaimed over time, that particular area had been untouched for over thirty years.

At the very end of the guard wing was a dark room, vacant except for the gargoyle that had been found that morning, and only soft moonlight kept the room from being pitch black.

Suddenly, a red spark of light flashed in the darkness as the gargoyle opened its eyes and looked around. The gargoyle emitted the sound of rock grinding against itself; strangely similar to the sound of a beast growling in the back of his throat.

"Master. Master beckons us," the gargoyle slowly rumbled.

"Protect our interests," a voice called out from the darkness. "Destroy our enemies."

"We will obey," the gargoyle said, its eyes flashing again.

The large doors flew open as well as all the doors beyond as if a powerful gale of wind had forced them all open. Half-running and half-gliding, the gargoyle charged out of the guard rooms, flying up the main stairwell and through an open window high above.

* * *

><p>Severus shifted in his sleep after hearing a sound, slowly opening his eyes and wondering what he was doing on the edge of the bed. Glancing at his watch and sighing softly, he got up and closed the window before making his way into the nursery. A hiss from Rasputin greeted him as he waved the lantern brighter, but then he saw Quintin standing in his crib and looking forlorn.<p>

"What are you doing awake? You know perfectly well it isn't time for you to get up yet," Severus grumbled.

"Yuckie," Quintin explained.

"I see. Then I think it is high time you learned how not to be 'yuckie,' I don't care what those silly parenting books of Jennifer say. If you're old enough to complain about it, you're old enough to start learning how to use the bathroom on your own," Severus scolded him. He took out his wand long enough to change him and put him in fresh pajamas before settling him in his bed. He then turned the handle and waited three seconds before opening it, stepping into his study to find coffee waiting for him.

"Good morning, Headmaster. I thought you said you were planning on sleeping in this morning," the portrait of Dippet commented.

"Just as well that I didn't; the extra half an hour will allow me to get this homework marked. For some reason I had a hard time doing it last night with someone looking over my shoulder," Severus snorted, sitting down. He finished marking the papers and began going over Hermione's list of guest judges, but it was not long after he started his new task that Dippet cleared his throat. "Yes?"

"Professor Andrew is asking if you are awake yet. He says it's something of a security matter," Dippet explained.

"Tell him I'm awake, of course," Severus said, waving the doors open. "You should have done so already, Armando, especially if it's a security matter."

A few minutes later, Andrew came up the stairs and straight over to the desk, a bit unkempt but wide-awake.

"We have a bit of a problem," Andrew said, Severus gazing at him quizzically. "The gargoyle we brought up from the lake yesterday morning… well, it's missing." Severus stared at him, glancing back at the curtain then back at him.

"I thought you put it in the guard wing?" Severus said, getting out the map.

"We did, and we finished running all the tests on it and found nothing out of the ordinary. But when I came out of my room this morning, I noticed that the door at the end of the fourth floor corridor was flung open outward instead of inward… all the doors were like that, actually, some were off the hinges and all of the locks were broken. It was almost as if… well… as if it had let itself out," Andrew admitted. "It was almost as if it had a mind of its own…" he stopped short when his father let out an obvious sigh of exasperation.

"Andrew, being a professor of Transfiguration, you of all people should know by now that regardless of the level of animation a magical item might have and regardless of its shape, it is still just a magical item. Gargoyles are no more than rock and mineral that have been charmed to perform certain tasks and have no level of consciousness or any sort of true intelligence, let alone a soul. If that statue moved, it is because someone made it move by either command or force," Severus replied, opening up the map.

"But why would they?" Andrew asked.

"Exactly what I want to know. Armando, have Jennifer come into the study, please," Severus said, scanning the map. Andrew peered at it as well from his angle.

"For some reason, I think it's quite unlikely that there's anything unusual on there. Surely if there was someone in the castle that shouldn't be one of the paintings would have seen something," Andrew said.

"It has happened before," Severus reminded him. "Perhaps you ought to check all the statues guarding the secret passages out of the castle just to be safe… and any others you can think of, for that matter. Jennifer confirmed that the one we found in the lake was still tied to the security system, so if someone was able to compromise it, they may have also been able to manipulate one of the others."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Andrew said, hurrying out the door. Severus then strode to the curtain and pulled it back to see Jennifer shuffling towards it sleepily.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Really, Severus, this isn't very fair after last night, you could have had the decency to let me sleep in a little. Even Quintin isn't up yet," Jennifer complained.

"It's a security matter, Jennifer. The gargoyle from the lake has disappeared, and apparently it was taken by someone," Severus explained.

"Taken?" Jennifer repeated, letting that sink in. "I seriously doubt that, Severus, it was still tied to the security. It has charms on it that connects it to the rest of the original statues and gargoyles. It wouldn't have left the confines of the school; there'd be no point to take it. I doubt it'd function at all outside of the school's boundaries."

"But then it'd be effectively out of the way from someone who was concerned about it…"

"It was effectively out of the way at the bottom of the lake," Jennifer pointed out with a yawn, getting herself a cup of coffee. "And it certainly wasn't in anyone's way in the back of the guard wing, was it?" Severus frowned at that. "Have you tried calling it back, Severus?"

"It is rather difficult to call it back when I don't even know its name in the system, let alone its original purpose," Severus pointed out.

"Well, from the way the charms seemed to be intertwined with some of the other statues and gargoyles, I'd say it was originally the main control for all of the others. Other than that it's only charmed to give it impressive strength and flight, and those were probably done just to help it do its job easier. Your gargoyle at the study door is set up quite similar, but the charms placed on it to control the others seems to be a bit of an afterthought; its main purpose is to guard the study. I suspect that security control was probably rerouted to the study gargoyle after they lost track of the one in the lake," Jennifer said.

"If that is the case, would the study gargoyle be able to call it even if I did know its name?" Severus wondered out loud.

"I suppose it depends on if whoever charmed the second one was actually looking for the first one or not," Jennifer decided thoughtfully. "There is always the possibility that the one in the lake was lost on purpose for some reason."

"But what reason, especially if it was the controller?" Severus asked, Jennifer simply shrugging in response. "This is making less and less sense with every unanswered question. I suppose I need to go through the old security tomes once more to see if there is any hint to what that statue is called."

"Perhaps we could just try asking Ick?" Jennifer suggested. Severus nodded at that.

"You're right, that would save time. Armando, would you see if Icarus is available before classes today?"

"I believe he is available, Severus, considering he's in the next room playing with your son," Armando said.

Scowling, Severus turned and strode over to the nursery just as a floating baby came out of it, Icarus materializing a moment later while Quintin chanted for his breakfast.

"What were you doing in there?" Severus demanded.

"I was simply visiting, Severus," Icarus said calmly, handing Quintin over to Jennifer.

"Well, I would appreciate it if you asked first, not that I mind you in there in general, but I would like to know who is handling my son, thank you," Severus snapped.

"I was only checking on him, Severus, the boy does need some watching. I believe I am not mistaken when I say that he is bound to get into the 'terrible twos' a few months early. You'll both need to keep a sharper eye on him, because I don't think it'll be long before he starts wandering the castle on his own. " Icarus advised.

"I'm sure that won't happen, Icarus. The doors are password kept, you know, and there are securities on that room in particular well beyond most of the rooms in this castle," Jennifer assured him.

"I'm not worried about anyone else getting in, Jennifer, I'm worried about him getting out, especially considering how many strangers will be poking about with these games of yours," Icarus said.

"I am the security officer, not you, Ick, and I'll thank you not to criticize it when the games haven't even started yet…"

"How about we curb this conversation before the two of you inevitably get into another one of your sparring matches?" Severus interrupted. "Icarus, how much do you know about the gargoyles in this castle?"

"More than you and your security officer do, apparently," Icarus said evenly, Jennifer glaring at him in response.

"Do you know about the one we found in the lake?" Severus asked.

"I know of it, yes, and that apparently Professor Andrew and your security officer were unable to contain it…"

"Would you cut that out?" Jennifer snapped so fiercely that Quintin stared at her as if debating whether to cry or not.

"Jennifer, why don't you get him ready to go to the daycare room? I'll take him down in a little while so you can prepare for class. Icarus, if you don't mind, I really would like to get to the bottom of this. There is no need for your attempts at digging in," Severus admonished. "The gargoyle in question is still responding to the security system, so I simply need to know its name so that I can call it back and find out what triggered its actions last night."

"I don't know that it has a proper name other than gargoyle, Severus. As for what triggered it, I think that's rather obvious. Either the school's security system deemed that it was more useful elsewhere in the castle or someone ordered it to go elsewhere in the castle," Icarus reasoned calmly.

"But in the castle," Severus mused, glancing around.

"Or within the school boundaries, yes… didn't your items expert already tell you the gargoyles and statues are bound to the castle?" Icarus asked.

"First you instigate her, now you're defending her?" Severus challenged him.

"Well, she isn't in the room now," Icarus explained, Severus rolling his eyes in response before climbing up the observatory steps. "Will there be anything else, Severus? I do have a morning class today."

"Thank you, Icarus, let me know if you happen to find the missing gargoyle," Severus said distractedly.

"Very well," Icarus replied, turning towards the door before fading.

Severus pulled a couple of levers and lifted a large bar that made the telescope more maneuverable then glanced in it a moment, having to stop and make some adjustments. Despite its size, it came around easily, and he swiveled it to check the tops of all the castles towers and parapets. Finally he saw it, focusing the telescope and locking it in place before calling over the rail. Jennifer appeared below, stepping back from the nursery door so she could see him.

"Come up here for a moment, Jennifer. I think I've found the gargoyle," Severus said.

"What?" Jennifer said with surprise, hurrying up the stairs and taking a look through the scope at his prompting.

"That's the same one, is it not?" Severus asked.

"It most definitely is! It's much taller than the others and broader, although it does have a similar face, doesn't it? What is it doing up there?" Jennifer said.

"Surveillance, I suppose. My guess would be that was one of its normal duties. I was thinking when I came up here that since it still responded to the security, perhaps it moved to fulfill its original duty."

"But I thought we had all decided it had been a door guard," Jennifer said.

"Well, that is the North Tower, and below it is that spirit door that leads to nowhere…"

"I hardly think it counts, and I hardly think you think it counts either," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps it's there for the sheer fact that right now it doesn't have a door to guard, therefore is trying to look after the castle as a whole," Severus conjectured. "We should try to reassign it to a door somewhere we can more readily observe it."

"How do you know it'll even respond to you?" Jennifer said.

"Well, I have to try something. We certainly can't afford a rogue gargoyle right now when those games are due to start in less than two weeks away," Severus said, walking back down the stairs. "Armando, if I have trouble getting this thing to respond, is there some built in way to disenchant a damaged statue so that it can be recharmed?"

"Yes, Severus, there is an emergency failsafe for such a thing, but it isn't something I can do," Dippet admitted. "Only one painting was set up to do that." Severus grimaced. "Should I um…"

"No, don't you dare wake her up," Severus said immediately. "We'll handle it ourselves."

"Very well, Headmaster," Armando said unconcernedly, despite the fact that Severus seemed almost unnerved by the idea.

"I suppose if there aren't any solutions before the game starts you'll consider it?" Jennifer ventured.

"With everything else going on this year, the last thing we need is her awake causing more trouble," Severus said firmly. "I'll put it in stasis and chuck it back into the lake before I'll be ready to wake her up again. But I'm sure we simply need to realign it so it works with our new security measures."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said, but Severus could tell from her tone of voice that she was agreeing more to humor him than having any true belief that he was going to succeed at it.

Frowning in annoyance, Severus took Quintin downstairs and had a few words with Ashley before returning to finish his priority paperwork and wait for Hermione's conference time. Finally she arrived with several folders in hand.

"I have some good news," Hermione announced after Severus waved for her to come in. "We've sold out of all the tickets for the opening ceremonies, which means we should be able to afford all the special events we have until Christmas, even assuming no more tickets are sold, which I doubt will be a problem," Hermione informed him, putting the first folder over the table. "Here is the finalized booths list for both inside and outside the grounds… oh, and also, both Harry and your father-in-law asked me about security for the area near the pumpkin farm… neither seemed to be in a hurry to ask Jennifer about it. So I told Harry if he was volunteering to bring it up to you, and I told Thomas if he thought he could make a case to Draco for bringing Enforcers up here… to bring it up with you. And both of them wanted to know if you could come to the main office."

"I wouldn't mind Harry looking into security out there, to be perfectly honest, and I doubt Jennifer would be too offended if I took him up on his offer under the circumstances. The Enforcers might be another matter," Severus said under his breath.

"Yes, I've been thinking about that and I feel the best way to go about it would be giving the Law Enforcement department some 'complementary' tickets to those interested in going. That is, if you're considering the offer," Hermione said. "That way, they'd be close on hand if needed, but out of sight to both the rest of the spectators and to any staff who might question it. They wouldn't necessarily even have to be on duty."

"Hermione, I don't think I've told you lately how I think you've really grown into your job over the last few years," Severus said sincerely.

"Thanks, so have you," Hermione replied with a grin, going on to the next folder.

"Yes," Severus agreed thoughtfully.

"Did you remember that you have a board meeting later this week?"

"Yes, I prepared all of that this morning," Severus assured her, taking the next folder.

"Also, you have a detention to deal with after dinner, and Sally wanted me to let you know that she feels a bit put out having to do OWLS this year along with everything else, but she would 'find time somehow,'" Hermione grinned with amusement.

"If she wants to put that sort of hint into her protests, she'll have to give me her arguments in the spring… and let her know that I have even less time to spare than anyone else at the moment," Severus said firmly. "Have you heard about the gargoyle we found under the lake?"

"Yes, Andrew was telling me some of it, and that it's missing now."

"No, I found it again. It's perched on the North Tower but I need to find a way to get it back in tune with the rest of them, so I'll be up there during lunch," Severus explained.

"Maybe you should just leave it there?" Hermione suggested. Severus stared at her. "It's out of the way and doesn't seem to be harming anything, and Andrew told me that both he and Jennifer already did some thorough tests on it. Unless there is somewhere else that needs guarded where you don't have a gargoyle assigned already?"

"Hermione, we do not know what prompted it to move where we put it to in the first place. I am not going to make light of it, or any other security matter in this castle, especially considering the events this year," Severus said.

"Well, then, perhaps you should have Dusthorn try to…."

"Do not even speak the name please," Severus said. Hermione sighed.

"Fine, I'll stay out of it, I suppose," Hermione decided. "I'd better head back to my office."

"Good. But no waking her up," Severus said.

"I won't," Hermione promised, walking out with a stack of papers he had given her. As she walked through the hallways, her eyes scanned the walls with a frown. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she went down the stairs.

* * *

><p>With an apple in hand, Andrew took his broom out of the closet and flew out of his office, glancing at the castle a moment while chomping on it. Seeing the tower he wanted, he flew up to it to find his father already hovering there.<p>

"That could have waited. I seriously doubt it will take long," Severus scolded.

"I'm spending the rest of my lunch with Sally going over the pyrotechnics she wants for the choir and band performances during the ceremony," Andrew said. "The blasted thing hasn't even started yet and it's already monopolizing all of my time."

"You're not the only one feeling that way, trust me," Severus said dryly. "Cover me in case the thing does something unexpected."

"Right," Andrew said, tossing his apple and getting out his wand, letting his feet land on the roof to steady himself.

"Gargoyle, what is your name and current orders?" Severus asked. But the gargoyle didn't respond. "This is the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus Snape. If you are set to a password, override and query."

"Seems inactive, doesn't it?" Andrew mused.

"Seems is the correct word," Severus said, casting a spell on it that made it glow lightly. "The security charm is still active."

"Then why won't it respond to you? Have you ever had anything woven into the security system not listen to you?"

"Yes, but I am _not_ waking her up," Severus said flatly.

"Do you want me to try moving it again?" Andrew asked. Severus grew thoughtful.

"What I mainly wanted was for it to be placed somewhere we could observe it without the students being near. I suppose this would do that, although I am concerned about it moving on its own again. Perhaps we should find a way to track its movements instead," Severus decided.

"That should be simple enough, all I have to do is add its figure to the Hogwarts model, or I can get with Mum to make a magic necklace or something to attach to it that can track its movements," Andrew suggested.

"Let's do both," Severus decided. "How soon can you get that figure done?"

"It'll only take a few minutes. I should have time to make one tonight before I mark papers," Andrew said.

"That'll do," Severus said, and the two of them flew back down.

With that done, Severus put it out of his mind and buried himself in the paperwork that somehow had kept getting put off, studying the proposals going to the board to prepare himself for any details they might ask for.

By the time dinner was over, he was more than ready to tackle his more personal projects, first and foremost being Mr. Charles Willowby, who was already sitting at a desk and looking quite bored when Severus strode in.

"At least you had sense to arrive on time," Severus said briskly, rolling out the scroll in his hand. "I have here a list of all the assignments and homework you have failed to turn in since the beginning of the year. During this and all other detentions until further notice, you will be doing them. The fact that the majority of professors do not accept late work is inconsequential; I want to see them done, and not only that, they will be letter perfect without one single mistake or it will be thrown out and you will have to start over. They will also be done using Commander Bellamy's print standards, unless I am aware that a particular class prefers another format. If you have unacceptable handwriting, that also will not be accepted. A wrong answer will also get the work dismissed. Every detention I will assign a minimum to get done in the allotted time… if you do not succeed in reaching that minimum, we will stay up or over for as long as it takes, even if it takes or night or you have to miss your morning classes to do so… and I wouldn't fall asleep in these little sessions either if I were you… you won't like what would happen next," he warned grimly. Charles simply gazed steadily back at him. "Since this is our first session, I'll only require the first assignment in each of your classes. If you get done within three hours, which I highly doubt, we will go on to the second assignment in each. Any questions?"

"What is Commander Bellamy's print standard?" Charles asked.

"An inch and a half top margin, inch left margin and three quarters right margin written on type A parchment of no less than twenty four inches with all script no more than a quarter of an inch tall with an eight of an inch between the numbering of each question and its answer… simple enough, I trust you have a ruler," Severus said.

"Not with me," Charles said, and was instantly handed one. "Do you really want me to measure all of this out?"

"Unless you want it thrown away immediately, yes," Severus said. Sighing, Charles got out a piece of parchment out of his case and began, but he had only been writing and measuring for about ten minutes when the Headmaster glanced at it and rolled his eyes, picking it up and throwing it away.

"What! I was measuring," Charles protested.

"Filing number at the leftmost margin, your name at the right margin with your last name followed by your name and middle initial," Severus said.

"Filing number?" Charles said blankly.

"The student designation number Commander Bellamy gave you at the beginning of the term? The rest of your classmates probably have theirs long memorized by now," Severus said in a disapproving tone as he wrote it down for him. "There, try again. I hope you don't require any more handholding, Willowby. I know you are new to any discipline standards when it comes to work, but I have some things I would like to get done as well tonight."

"Fine, but I don't see the point of putting the filing number thing on all of my work when Commander Bellamy is the only one who uses it," Charles complained.

"You're to do it because that is how I've instructed you to do it," Severus said.

"And if I refuse?" Charles asked daringly. Severus smiled dangerously and got a photo album out of his desk. Charles regarded it warily.

"Oh look, it's your grandmother's photo album… the very one dedicated to all those candid shots she took of the five of you since you were born. I think it might be fun to use the maximize spell to make some of these poster size to put up in the castle, don't you? Here's is one of you at four in your pajamas… oh dear, a bit of a breeze coming from the back in that shot, isn't there? Here's one of you taking a bubble bath when you were three… along with two of your sisters, it seems… and here's a lovely one of you after one of your sisters attempted to fix your hair and dress you up for tea… Hope, I imagine… lipstick instead of rouge from the looks of the makeup…"

"You're just bluffing, you wouldn't really put any of those up. You're likely to get in all sorts of trouble for that sort of thing, child indecency and all of that…" Charles said, but Severus simply picked one out and maximized it, wasting no time at all tacking it up to the wall in the room, large enough that it covered that section entirely.

"Now, if you don't mind, why don't you get started again? The longer you delay, the longer that stays up, and if you question me again, the next one will go up in the Great Hall," Severus said. "Good evening, Jennifer. Like my new décor?"

"Oh, how lovely! I remember taking that photo!" Jennifer beamed. Charles grimaced, trying to concentrate on his measurement. "Goodness, Charles, you were so adorable when you were little, and so serious at times you'd make us all laugh. I suppose your father probably looked a great deal like that when he was that age. And look at those gorgeous chunky cheeks he had!"

"Which ones?" Severus inquired.

"Oh, honestly, Severus," Jennifer chuckled. "I'm going to go get Quintin and head upstairs."

"Very well, don't wait up," Severus said.

"Don't you dare keep him up all night, Charles, I'll hold it against you," Jennifer said teasingly. "Good night."

"Good night," Severus said calmly, sitting at the desk. "So without any more delays, Mr. Willowby?"

Slowly, the night wore on, and as time went by the wastebasket got filled more and more. It was half past eleven before the first of his assignments were done, but slowly he improved now that he knew what was expected, so only had to do the last of his assignments four times before finally getting one that Severus thought was acceptable.

"Fine. I hope you don't make a habit of taking until three in the morning to finish your detentions," Severus said, ignoring the dour expression that Charles was giving him. "You had better get some rest. If you miss a class you'll miss another lesson, which means you'll undoubtedly be spending more time with me. I'll give you ten minutes to get back to your rooms," he added, carefully taking down the photo and rolling it up. Tiredly, Charles left.

Kneading his throbbing head, Severus made his way upstairs, more grateful than usual about his comfortable bed. For once, even the rain outside didn't sound as menacing as normal, and Jennifer wasted no time curling up against him.

High above on the North Tower, the gargoyle stretched its wings and took flight, circling around the grounds.


	9. Innocence

Chapter Nine

Innocence

Leu and Keir tossed their books into the Owl Room and hurried out of the castle for their long lunch break, both a bit intrigued by Noah's invitation to watch him practice that day. It was still damp and cloudy, and although it was warm, the wind was quite brisk as the dying summer and looming autumn fought for control over the weather.

A number of students were hanging out on the Quidditch Pitch, practicing various events on the outskirts while in the center of the field there were quite a number of mounts; half of them horses, and the other half quite fantastic. Many students not even participating in the Bridle Club couldn't help but wander through just to stare at them in awe, from the Hippogriff and Griffoness to the largest boar that either of them had ever seen. The boar had sparks coming from his hooves every time it stamped and smoke coming out of his nostrils, but just a few feet to the right of the beast, there was a beautiful, large white animal that resembled a horse in many ways except for the cloud mist clinging around it that didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular. Leu couldn't help but gawk at the spooky black monster that landed near Sagittari. It had dark wings like a cross between a bat and a dragon and a strange, skeletal frame.

"What is that thing?" Leu asked warily.

"Which one?" Keir asked in awe, gazing at the boar and its western style saddle. But despite the boar's devilish appearance, it didn't seem to mind their presence as they passed it.

"That scary one over there!" Leu exclaimed, pointing. Keir sighed impatiently.

"What? The pygmy pink elephant?"

"No, there's nothing scary about that," Leu said.

"Speak for yourself. How many pygmy pink elephants have you seen?" Keir challenged him, following Leu as he shuffled nearer as if not quite able to make up his mind whether he wanted to go closer to it or not. Just then, Noah turned the mount to the side and waved to them, motioning them over.

"You made it!" Noah called out as the two of them walked up. Keir frowned puzzledly at Noah, who seemed to simply be striding something in mid-air.

"Is this some sort of joke or something?" Keir asked.

"You can't see it, can you? That's all right. Put your hand out, Leu, maybe you can guide him. You can see it, can't you, Leu?" Noah asked excitedly.

"Yes," Leu said, reluctantly stepping up to touch its side. Frowning at Leu, Keir put his hand up, more than a little surprised when he felt something there.

"It's a Thestral," Noah explained.

"Like what was used in your wand?" Leu asked.

"Yes, not everyone can see them, only if you've witnessed death first hand and had to deal with it, otherwise your mind just sort of blocks it out," Noah explained. Keir looked back at Leu thoughtfully.

"So you've witnessed death somehow?" he asked.

"I watched my parents die," Leu said quietly, petting the mount. Keir gazed at him intently, but when it became obvious Leu wasn't going to say more about it, he shrugged it off.

"Well, I suppose this thing makes sense as a mount for Noah, although it's going to be rough trying to figure out if you're doing well or not in the competition," Keir admitted.

"Doctor Sagittari says they've already thought of that, so they picked the judges for Dressage based on who can see them," Noah said. "The flying routine has both ground and flying elements to it, and Sagittari is teaching me the ground elements first. We're learning how to Piaffe right now. Want to see?" he said excitedly.

"Sure," Leu answered with a grin, while Keir rolled his eyes and sighed. He saw nothing but Noah attempting to keep a straight seat, while Leu watched as the Thestral folded his wings back and did a series of high steps in place. "Brilliant! You're learning quick!"

"Yes, so is Shadow, although he shouldn't be talking while he is practicing," Sagittari said sternly. "Face forward, Noah, controlled expression. You are the extension of your mount, not the other way around."

"Yes, Doctor," Noah replied solemnly.

"So you can see them too?" Keir asked.

"You might want to visit that table over on the other side of the field if you have not eaten yet. Once you are finished, feel free to come back and visit the other mounts, but do not approach one unless the rider, myself or Minister Weasley is nearby, since some of them can be rather testy at times," Sagittari advised. He walked back over to where Minister Charles Weasley was talking to the girl who was training the boar.

"We're going to get lunch. We'll watch from there," Keir called out to Noah, pulling Leu along with him to the table. Professor Andrew was also there, picking through a rather impressive buffet with a wide variety of sandwiches, fruit, and other things easier to carry and eat on the go along with water bottles and several types of juice. "Nice layout, this!" Keir declared with appreciation.

"I agree, the Elves did an excellent job on the selection, didn't they?" Andrew said. "Came out to practice something, Mr. Box?"

"We came out because Noah wanted to show off his mount," Leu explained.

"Show _you_ his mount, you mean. Apparently I'm not good enough to see it," Keir said irritably.

"If it's any consolation, I can't see Thestrals either, and you really ought to be grateful that you don't," Andrew said, picking through the sandwiches. "It may seem mysterious, perhaps even a bit romantic to think of oneself as suffering that level of tragedy, but I assure you it isn't. It is more than simply witnessing a death… it is carrying something within you that you'll never get over for the rest of your life. Being forced to deal with that burden and the consequences of death is what makes it so they can see it and we can't."

"I'm surprised you don't see them, then, being a Snape and all," Keir said.

"Being a Snape does not automatically get me into the Thestral club," Andrew said dryly, wandering towards the benches. Keir hurriedly loaded up a plate and followed, with Leu not far behind.

"Does Headmaster Snape see them?" Keir asked, sitting down next to him.

"Yes, of course," Andrew said solemnly.

"Professor Craw as well?" Keir asked, Andrew nodding to him and taking a bite. "What about your siblings?"

Andrew thought about it for a long moment before answering, using eating as an excuse. He had almost answered several times, but ended up stopping himself as he remembered something in one of his other's siblings' past that he hadn't thought of before. Finally noticing that the two boys were still looking at him, Andrew shrugged.

"It isn't the sort of thing that normally would come up, is it?" Andrew said to explain the long delay. "Although I suppose it's fair to say some of the others do for certain."

"Perhaps you're the only one who can't then," Keir suggested. Andrew, who had been thinking the same thing, suddenly looked up at the castle then smiled.

"Well, there's always Quintin. I'm sure he can't see them either," Andrew said.

"Didn't he witness Lord Nelson's death last year?" Leu asked. Andrew frowned, having forgotten about that.

"I'm sure he's much too young to understand what was going on, and even so, Professor Craw would have tried to shield him from that," Andrew said with a strange expression on his face. A curious feeling had gone through him with that admission.

"I hope you're right," Leu said solemnly, looking at his plate for a long time before actually picking anything up from it.

"I think I'll head in. See you boys later this afternoon… I hope you've done your Transfiguration assignment," Andrew added as a reminder.

"See you, Professor," Keir said, much more interested in his food now.

It was about the time they had finished and returned to the pens meet up with Noah that Andrew returned with Quintin bouncing in his arms. Quintin stared wide-eyed at all the exciting things going on, attempting to focus in on random things and having to careen his head to keep looking at it as Andrew strode quickly across to where the students were rubbing down their mounts and preparing them to be moved back to the pen area.

It had taken him a moment or two to wade through the impressive mounts, then noticed Leu and Keir standing to the far edge with Noah, who had a hold of a rope to a bridle that seemed to be hanging in air.

"Hullo, Professor Andrew. Do you like my mount?" Noah asked.

"No point in asking him, you know. He doesn't see it," Keir snorted.

"I was hoping at least he would! Hardly anyone else can see Shadow either," Noah said, patting his neck.

"Leu," Quintin said, reaching out, while Andrew watched him intently.

"Yes, there's Leu! Leu, stand behind the Thestral a moment and call out to him," Andrew said. Nodding in understanding, Leu did as he was told, keeping a hand on the beast so not to startle him. "Where's Leu? Do you see Leu, Quintin?" Andrew asked, stepping back. Can you see us, Leu?"

"Not really," Leu admitted. "Quintin! Peekaboo!" Leu said, covering his eyes and then waving his hands erratically. Quintin giggled and reached out just as the Thestral snorted and took a step back. Startled, Quintin's hand clung on to Andrew for a second, and then he started laughing again. "I don't think he sees him," Leu decided with a soft smile.

"I think you're right," Andrew decided with a relieved smile of his own. "No shadows, Quintin! That's an order! No shadows allowed until you're at least out of school and old enough to earn them yourself!"

"Baba," Quintin pointed out.

"Twelve-thirty, is it? All right, let's get you back for lunch, then," Andrew said, walking back to the castle.

"Time to get moving ourselves," Keir reminded the others, and the three of them walked back to the stables.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week seemed to pass by quickly, especially for the staff, who were scrambling to get everything ready and with more chores to be done at the last minute than had been originally anticipated. Much to Jennifer's relief, Harry had arrived on Wednesday and offered to take over the security at the Pavilions (the Popcorn Farm now was completely overrun with not only pavilions but also vendor tents there to cater to those both staying and visiting) so that Jennifer could concentrate on security within the castle gates. Even then, it seemed rather overwhelming at times, for she found herself often quite stressed over the details, wondering if was going to be enough and whether the entire idea had been a mistake from the beginning.<p>

"Severus," Jennifer murmured after they turned out the lights and tried to get comfortable, "promise me we'll never hold one of these sorts of events again."

"With any luck, we won't need to… although it is a bit early in the game to be complaining considering it doesn't even officially start until tomorrow night," Severus said quietly. "And it was your idea…"  
>"It was nothing of the sort. It was Ace's idea, actually, along with Danny and Hermione. I simply agreed to back them up," Jennifer defended.<p>

"Back them up or butter me up?" Severus taunted.

"A festival would have done it. At least it wouldn't have taken all year, although granted, it wouldn't bring in anything close to what this will…"

"It has probably already has brought in more than a festival would have just based on vendor fees, space rental and all-event ticket sales," Severus said. "Although I do admit to all of it being a bit much at times. I've taken to using the Time Turner rather steadily to keep up with student affairs, family affairs, and general school operations."

"I don't suppose you can fit me in there somewhere?" Jennifer asked jokingly, but Severus didn't miss the sincere plea in her remark.

"I'm here now," Severus pointed out.

"Yes, and I'm tired and you're tired and we have a long day tomorrow, and as sure as anything even if we contemplated spending time together talking or otherwise, someone would either be banging at the door or there would be a cry for attention from the nursery…"

"Ready to hire a nanny again, are we?" Severus challenged her.

"No, of course I'm not. I simply mean… well, I suppose I simply miss you, Severus," Jennifer murmured, leaning on him. Severus put an arm around her and held her comfortingly.

"I have a thought," Severus said after a lying there a few moments, listening to her deep sighs.

"Only one?" Jennifer teased.

"Why don't we try getting up a bit earlier instead?" Severus suggested softly. "No one tends to trouble me before breakfast, and Quintin never wakes up earlier than six except when nature dictates. We can spend a bit of time together before the day closes in on us… and at a time we're not both completely exhausted as well."

"I'd be willing to try it, I suppose, although if I got up any earlier than you, I don't think we'd sleep at all," Jennifer said.

"I'm only suggesting that you adjust your morning schedule to coincide with mine. I'll simply have to hold off on my heavier paperwork until before dinner is all," Severus said. "Now why don't we both try to get some rest?"

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said, already groggy and feeling sleep closing in.

She awoke with a start, glancing around the room and at the clock before gasping. She slipped away from Severus, careful not to wake him, and hurriedly got dressed. She peeked in the nursery long enough to make sure Quintin was still asleep before slipping on her shoes and hurrying into the Headmaster's Study.

"Good morning, Jennifer," said Armando with a yawn. "You're up early for a Saturday."

"I asked Ace to go over the grounds with me and help with any last minute changes to security. He's probably already waiting for me," Jennifer explained. "Does Severus have any appointments this morning?"

"No, as usual he expected to be watching Quintin. His first appointment isn't until lunch, and that is with Ginger," Armando explained.

"Oh, good. Well, then let him sleep in as much as he can, he's even more exhausted than I am," Jennifer said.

"It's unlikely to be for very long, since it's ten until six," Armando said.

"So it is… poor Severus! Well, maybe he'll get lucky and Quintin will decide to sleep in as well for a change," Jennifer said. "Let him know that I've gone to prepare the pitch but will have to meet up with Harry at the Pavilions later, so I'll probably be all morning."

"Yes, Jennifer," Armando said, and Jennifer hurried out.

Ten minutes later, as the clock in the Headmaster's Study struck six, Quintin stood up in his crib and looked around, wide awake.

"Baba! Yuckie!" he declared demandingly. Nobody answered. "Baba!" he said again, reaching out and frowning when the door didn't open. "Car! Car! Car!"

He was leaning over the rail and wondering if crying was his next resort when there was a flutter at the window. The large glass doors seemed to open on their own and Descartes hopped in, flapping carefully over to the crib and peering inside before gently picking the boy up by the back of the shirt and hopping down, setting him on the floor.

After going to the trouble of standing up, Quintin then leaned over as far as he could to see under the crib.

"Pu!" he declared, Rasputin turning his head to look at him. "My pu!" He then turned and walked over to the door, banging on it with both hands, frustrated when very little sound was made. He stared up at the door handle for a while before bringing up his hands, opening and closing his finger as if to grab something. "Babul babul tabul tabul!" he intoned.

The door clicked and slowly opened. Leaning over again, Quintin peered outside, but instead of his mother's sitting room or his father's study, he saw a hallway. He stared at it unsurely a moment, but then decided to march out the door anyway. Rasputin dutifully followed along as Quintin wandered down the hall, always a few feet behind. He stopped and waited patiently any time Quintin sat down, whether on purpose or from losing his balance. Sometimes the boy turned around as if noticing the basilisk for the first time, hugging his neck and even once picking at his eye patch and managing to flip it up long enough to stare at him.

"Pu," Quintin declared while Rasputin struggled to keep his eyelid tightly shut. Quintin let the eye patch fall back down and Rasputin backed up to keep it from happening again. Quintin, completely unperturbed, stood up and started marching again, taking another rest much further down the hallway.

It was about that time that the first of the Ravenclaw students began wandering out of the common room, some yawning and unkempt as they stumbled towards the stairs. Kim and Jessica were two of them, for they had signed up for much more than they should have in both assisting events and competing in them. They were admitting that fact to one another when they hit a large wall of students who stood in the hallway as if reluctant to go on.

"What's up? Doesn't anyone want breakfast?" Kim asked.

"We also don't want to become breakfast," Jimmy Minster said, and then pointed. "Look."

Kim and Jessica stepped up to see where the baby was sitting next to a rather large monitor basilisk wearing an eye patch. The basilisk stared at them balefully with his strange glass eye.

"Pu," Quintin said unconcernedly, playing with one of the buttons on his pajamas as if trying to figure out how to unbutton it.

"I'm scared! You don't think that thing is going to hurt that baby?" Martha York asked worriedly.

"No, I don't think so," Jessica said. "That must be Quintin Snape, the Headmaster's son. He's the only baby that'd be in the castle this early on a Saturday. And since that is Quintin, then that lizard must be the Headmaster's basilisk familiar."

"You mean the Headmaster really has a basilisk?" Colby gaped at her. "I thought that was just a story told to first years or something!"

"Pu," Quintin said again, still playing with the button.

"Why does he keep saying that?" Jimmy said.

"He probably needs changed," Kim decided. Jimmy let out a short laugh.

"Well, go on then, handle it," he dared her.

"Do I look that stupid?" she snorted at him.

"Yeah," Jimmy grinned, but Jessica put an arm up before Kim could go after him.

"Hang on, hang on, no tempers! We need to get him back where he belongs, and we certainly can't hang out here all day. Let me see if I can get him," Jessica said, taking a few steps towards Quintin. But the moment she tried to reach out to him, Rasputin hissed so menacingly that she quickly backed up again. Jimmy snickered. "Better get Leu," Jessica decided, and Kim turned and went back down the hallway.

"Think he'll let us go around? Bellamy's likely to make us run laps if we're late for relay practice," Jimmy speculated.

"Maybe. After all, he didn't react until I put my arms out for the baby. Why don't you go ahead and try to go around?" Jessica suggested.

"Why don't you?" Jimmy challenged her.

"Because I'm a prefect, and I need to stay here and watch him until I'm sure he's taken care of, that's why," Jessica snapped.

"Fine, I'll try it," Jimmy sighed, slowly trying to make his way around. But it was about the point where he had gotten even with Quintin that Rasputin hissed again and Jimmy wisely decided to back up. "I say we wait for Leu," Jimmy said. Just then, he felt a shiver as something past through his arm and then Noah materialized in front of the baby.

"What are you doing out here?" Noah asked.

"Pu," said Quintin.

"For some reason I doubt he had anything to do with it," Noah said, glancing up as Leu made his way through the crowd and over to Quintin.

"Who's he?" Colby asked.

"Pu is what he calls Rasputin," Noah explained.

"Leu!" Quintin said, holding his arms up. Leu picked him up, the basilisk looking sleepy rather than menacing now.

"I wonder how he got out here?" Leu said, more to himself than anyone else. "I know, he must have come through the nursery door. There's a way into that room on the other side of the hall."

"Baba! Yuckie!" Quintin declared, then pouted for sympathy when Leu didn't move right away.

"All right, Quintin, let's get you back where you belong," Leu said, carrying him down the hall. The rest of the students scrambled to get out of the way as Rasputin lumbered behind like an old dog, never more than two feet away at any time.

But when Leu got to the door, he stared at the painting of a group of faeries sitting on a bed of mushrooms unsurely.

"Do you know the password?" Noah asked.

"No," Leu admitted. "We might have to go around."

"I know it," a voice volunteered, the two of them looking around just as Icarus Ravenclaw materialized. "Double, double, toil and trouble," he recited, the door swinging open. Quintin, for his part, looked just as excited to be back in his room as he was leaving it. "Now, why don't you get into that cabinet to see if there's a cup of milk waiting and I'll work at getting him comfortable? Noah, shoo Descartes outside, lock the balcony doors, and pick out a toy or two and we'll put him back in the crib with his milk." Rasputin hissed.

"Yes, yes, of course you can stay and guard. Under the crib you go," Icarus said, changing the baby and getting him into a fresh set of clothes before putting him back in the crib. "There we are, let's be off now. He's safe and sound again."

"Oughtn't we let my father know what happened first?" Leu asked.

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea at all," Icarus decided, opening the door for them.

"Why not?" Leu asked.

"Because then someone might find out about it, of course," Icarus said impatiently, ushering the two boys out of the room and closing the door as quietly as he could.

It was only a few minutes later that Severus opened the door, peering in to check on Quintin. He was sitting up in bed fiddling with a toy, dressed for the day with an empty spill-proof cup at his side.

"Oh, I see, all taken care of, are we? No wonder you were so quiet this morning," he said. "Want to come out into the study for biscuits?" he asked, Quintin immediately getting up and putting his hands out, waiting to be picked up. "You spend too much time alone in this room during the weekends, we need to work on that," Severus decided, carrying him back into his office.


	10. Opening Ceremonies

Chapter Ten

Invasion

Jennifer blew her hair out of her face before walking into the castle, a large group of students hanging out by the doors and talking excitedly.

"Back into the Great Hall! Go to dinner! No, I don't expect you'll eat much, but you will at least sit for announcements so you know how we're going to proceed from here. In you go! I'm serious… Andrew, don't let anyone in or out who isn't staff unless they have written parental permission to go to their parents, and then they may wait on the stairs for their parents to pick them up. Everyone else back in, please!" she shouted firmly. Grumbles and murmurs went through the crowd and they went back inside, leaving only a lucky few to wait impatiently for their parents. "The rest of you, here is a written list of the rules going into effect so you can't use this as an excuse for not knowing them… here, Andrew, make sure they all get a copy and anyone else who leaves by this door tonight. I'll not have 'I wasn't at dinner and didn't know the rules' excuses."

"Yes, Professor Craw," Andrew said, taking half the stack. Jennifer then stopped by the Quidditch side of the castle and gave the same instructions to Danny standing at that door, then strode back in the Great Hall to find Severus already well into his own speech by the time she got to her seat.

"Of course, the stiff point losses we will be enforcing isn't the point, really," Severus continued with only a glance at Jennifer. "The point is that every time you go out there whether as a competitor, assistant, or spectator, you are representing both this school and your individual house, so you should act accordingly. Feel free to remind others in your house who seem to have forgotten that, and also feel free to bring it to the attention of your house advisors, who have been given special instruction of what to do if anyone gets out of line while at these events. And let me just say I hope _not_ to see any of you in my office for anything out of the ordinary while these events are going on. Now, I believe Professor Craw has further instructions about new security rules."

"Thank you, Headmaster Snape," Jennifer said warmly, smiling at the restless students. "I'm sure you noticed when you tried to sneak out early today that the castle is currently under a partial lockdown. In fact, all entrances other than the main entrance and the Quidditch Pitch entrance have been locked, guarded, and/or cursed for the evening and guards have been posted at the doors. Partial lockdown will be every night starting at six until the games are over. This doesn't mean your parents can't visit or guests can't get in if we're having an event in the castle, it's simply the easiest way for us to keep track of who is in the castle, and in the case of students, who isn't in that should be. On any night where there is an event in the castle, whether it is a competition or other event such as the Spectral Ball, Halloween rules will apply, which means going straight to your rooms, library, or special event right after dinner, and going straight to your rooms afterwards, no lingering in the halls.

"For those of you wondering about when you get to go to the Pavilions, we will provide carriages over to the Pavilions area during daylight hours on weekends so you may visit the vendors and your families. On weekdays you should stay closer to the school and concentrate on your studies, but if by some miracle you do have some free time, I've been assured that the vendors assigned to the Quidditch Pitch area will be open at noon on any day that there is an event. If you are interested in staying at the Pavilions with a parent overnight on Fridays or Saturdays, that must be cleared by your advisor and the Headmaster and your parent must come and pick you up at the door. Please pay special mind to curfew times for the remainder of the year. If you're missing on the bed count when you should be in your rooms, you'll be losing double points for it and a double detention when warranted. And last but not least, if you do get detention, you will be allowed to compete but you won't be able to attend any events during that time nor will you get a refund for any tickets, so do so at your own risk. Other than that, I hope everyone has a lot of fun! Oh, and everyone taking my Potion classes have a test next week. Thank you," Jennifer finished with a smile. The students wore mixed expressions as she sat down.

"So! Everyone ready for tonight?" Sally asked cheerfully once they got settled.

"If we aren't, it's rather too late to back out now, isn't it?" Jennifer pointed out.

"There's nothing to worry about, Jennifer, I'm sure you've planned for practically every circumstance," Hermione said.

"She has," Severus agreed unconcernedly.

"Yes, well, practically isn't every," Jennifer protested.

"That is quite true," Icarus said on the other side of her. "But there are a great many eyes looking out for the school right now, Jennifer. The majority of people here attending are here to support the school and their families within it. You needn't feel as if you're the only one looking after things."

"Also true," Severus said. "I'm sure you'll feel better after the ceremonies tonight, Jennifer. It's the anticipation of getting started rather than the logistics that is weighing on you at the moment. Are you going to eat something?"

"As if the students are eating any more than I am," Jennifer retorted, nibbling on a piece of bread.

"Sally, I understand that you were able to get that last minute change to your band routine?" Severus asked in a tone that made Jennifer wonder what he was up to.

"Oh, yes! I'm quite glad Dale was able to get away long enough to participate," Sally agreed.

"Dale?" Jennifer repeated in surprise, immediately interested in the conversation.

"Yes, we're doing a musical group to represent each house," Sally explained.

"I knew that, I just didn't know Dale was going to be here. Is Lucky coming as well?" Jennifer asked impatiently.

"I believe he said something about being accompanied," Severus offered. "Who knows, it could be someone else. After all, it has been almost a month since we've seen them, and there's that business with the doll thing that's going around…"

"What doll thing?" Hermione asked curiously. But Severus was busy watching Jennifer as she scarfed her food down as quickly as possible.

"I think I'm going to head to the Quidditch Pitch early," she announced when the majority of her plate was empty. "Don't forget to fetch Quintin from the daycare room, Severus."

"Unlikely," Severus said calmly, waving her on. Most of the other faculty watched her quick departure with grins.

"Was that on purpose?" Sally asked with a laugh.

"Obviously," Severus smirked slightly. "I knew the moment she realized that the crowd she was dreading would also contain family that she would relax."

"Then why didn't you remind her days ago?" Andrew challenged him.

"Also obvious, because I didn't want her dithering about it for days. If there's one thing I've learned from teaching and having a family simultaneously, it is that timing is everything," Severus said, glancing at his watch. "Oh look, all hands on Hogwarts. I suppose I'd better get Quintin so we can get this show on the road… or at least in the Quidditch Pitch."

The moment he rose, all of the students got excited, knowing they were about to be released. But just before Professor Weasley stood up, Icarus hovered down to the Ravenclaw table and to the far end, looking for his protégé. Noah sat on the edge beside Leu and a few other students that had learned how to effectively block their minds from what Noah was eating.

"I would like to speak to you a moment before you head to the Quidditch Pitch, Noah… you as well, Leu. I'll be waiting in the hall," Icarus said.

"Yes, Professor," they both answered, and then watched as he walked through the wall.

Curiously, Leu waited to be released and then hurried out to the back corridor with Noah following behind companionably. The ghostly professor was not far down the hall, but well away from the doors leading out so not to be in the way of students in a rush to leave.

"There you are," Ick said with a smile, holding out a bag. "Leu, would you take that for me, please? It is a purse for Noah. I hardly think it's fair that Noah is the only student without any spending money. Keep up your schoolwork, and I'll have another for you at Christmas."

"Thanks much!" Noah said enthusiastically.

"You may go, then. Have fun. And watch for puddles, it was a bit damp last night, you know," Icarus said. Noah nodded solemnly and the two boys hurried towards the Quidditch Pitch.

Quite a number of people were wandering around the pitch itself, including Jennifer, excitedly staring at the watch in her hand. It had arrows pointing in nearly every direction around her so she wasn't sure where to go first. Then she saw a hand moving rather erratically and zeroed in on it, slowly walking in that direction.

Finally the arrow steadied and Jennifer looked up with a smile to see a girl in a tailored indigo dress and a stylish hat, her dark hair off her face except for a few loose curls. Despite the polished look, the impish grin was quite unmistakable.

"Lucky!" Jennifer laughed, hugging her warmly. "Wow, look at you! I love that dress, where did you get it? Goodness, I would have had to shackle you to the walls to get you in such a thing a few short years ago. Who are you and what have you done to my daughter?"

"Still here, Dale can attest to that," Lucky snorted. "I don't know where the dress came from, Madame Caring picked it out… she's one of my instructors at the charm school that Toby gave me that gift certificate for before he left…"

"You're taking more magic classes?" Jennifer asked.

"No, the other kind of charm. You know, which fork goes to which course, how to write a letter, put down a glass, the proper way to address people with obscure titles, and a dictation class… actually, that part has been helping my spells, come to think of it," Lucky admitted, Jennifer chuckling at that. "Madame Enchantra Caring is a witch too, from that West of Whitehall crowd, so she's been working on my witch couture and some other stuff like that on the side. She's nice, but it's all pretty tedious. It makes me glad to get back to math classes."

"To be honest, I'm very surprised you'd be willing to take that sort of class at all, even if it was one of Toby's gifts," Jennifer grinned.

"It's all a part of the game," Lucky shrugged. "If I wanna get into the money game, I need the numbers, the cutthroat attitude, and good presentation. People won't invest if you can't make 'em feel like you're already at the top. Besides, it's also teaching me how to deal with the paparazzi other than belting them or slipping potions in their drinks." Jennifer laughed softly. "So, you wanna see me do my bit?" Lucky asked with a wink.

"I'd love it," Jennifer beamed.

"Great, let's wait until Dad is talking to someone he doesn't particularly like and is trying to be polite to. It'll be more fun that way," Lucky decided. "Hey! There's Leu and his spectral sidekick." Lucky waved to get their attention. Leu hurried over, giving her a hug at her insistence.

"I was hoping you'd come," Leu said with a smile.

"Yeah, Dale got roped into helping Scribe with the ceremonies and the hospital booth on certain weekends, but I'm coming to some of your events, and all the soccer games, of course," she added.

"Great! I've missed you not being here this year," Leu admitted.

"You're okay! I hear you've made plenty of friends this year," Lucky said encouragingly.

"I guess," Leu shrugged. "But it's just not the same."

"Well, I'll be here tomorrow helping at one of the two hospital booths, so maybe we can do lunch or something," Lucky suggested.

"All right, I'll see you then! I suppose I ought to be getting to my seat," Leu said.

"Have fun, boys, don't forget to return straight to the rooms after," Jennifer said, and the two of them went towards the Ravenclaw stands.

"He hasn't changed much, has he?" Lucky said as the two walked across to the other side.

"It takes time, he is improving in small ways," Jennifer assured her. "So where is Dale? I'm surprised he left you alone for a minute in that dress," she teased.

"Oh, he's sore at me at the moment. I bought a Bieber doll and stuck his head on my Dale Loves Duffy doll and showed it off to the press. They thought it was funny, but Dale didn't," Lucky smirked.

"Well, I don't know what a Bieber doll is, but I can plainly see you like getting Dale riled up on purpose," Jennifer tsked at her, then happened to glance up. "Look, there is your father, with Vice Chairman Balmweed and Mr. Coventry right on his heels." Jennifer watched as Severus nodded politely at Norman as if in agreement with whatever they were conversing about, although Severus' expression told Jennifer another story.

"Eh, he'll do," Lucky decided, the two of them walking up together. Lucky stopped short, waiting to be acknowledged, while Jennifer stepped up to greet them.

"Good evening, Norman. Good evening, Abraxus!" Jennifer welcomed them warmly. "You remember my daughter, Fortuna, of course."

Severus did a double take, staring at both Lucky's clothes and her posture as she stepped up to them. With a graceful half-curtsey, Lucky then offered her hand to Balmweed.  
>"Vice Chairman, it is a honor to meet you again. Your family is well, I hope?" Lucky asked liltingly.<p>

"Very well, thank you. In fact, I'm here with my daughter and her husband, actually," Norman said.

"Oh, yes, to see Pimra, I'm sure. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her parents, but I would be so delighted to. Pimra has come a long way from when she first entered Hogwarts, Mr. Balmweed. I am certain that great things are in her future," Lucky said with a smile.

"Yes, I believe you're right," Norman agreed. Lucky turned to Abraxus.

"And Mr. Coventry, how well you look! Why, even the newspaper article in the Oracle last week didn't do you justice. I would also like to congratulate you for your service award for research and development. I suppose it was for that new spell-tempered glass your company came up with?" Lucky asked cordially.

"Yes, quite so, thank you," Abraxus beamed. "It has a much higher temperature tolerance than other phials do, and will not break down regardless of how corrosive the potion."

"Significantly so," Severus put in. "In fact, I've started using them for my own personal use because of that. Perhaps once the cost has gone down a bit, we should order some for the school as well. I rather like the extra layer of safety, considering you can never account for creative student mistakes." Norman chuckled softly at that.

"I will see if I can't work something out," Abraxus offered sincerely. "But perhaps we should find our seats, since it seems the bands are starting to set up."

"So they are, and I had best be on my way. It was a pleasure to speak with you both. Perhaps we'll have the chance to speak again soon," Lucky said with a soft smile and a nod of the head.

"Have a good evening, Miss Snape," Norman said.

"Thank you, Vice Chairman Balmweed. I hope you have a splendid evening as well," Lucky said. "See you in a few minutes, Father."

Severus, who had a rather pained expression on his face, forced himself to nod as she and Jennifer stepped away, while Jennifer was wearing a smile as enigmatic as it was wicked. In the meantime, Abraxus was murmuring the name Fortuna a few times as if trying to remember something.

"My stars, that was Lucky, wasn't it?" Abraxus said at last, staring after them in surprise.

"I have no idea," Severus said flatly before excusing himself and walking up to his seat.

Nearly everyone else had settled into place. Even Quintin, sitting on Lucky's lap, seemed comfortable and eager for something else to happen.

"You want me to go down and find out how long before they're going to start, Jackie?" Lucky asked. She sounded like her old self again with the same flat tones and accent he was used to hearing.

"I doubt they really need us down there checking on things, but if you want to try and check on Dale before the ceremonies, you had better go now," Jennifer said knowingly, taking Quintin from her.

"Yeah, I think I will," Lucky decided. As she got up, she noticed Severus standing at the top of the stairs, gazing at her speculatively. "Excuse me, Dad. I gotta go check up on Dale."

"Are you going to explain what just happened downstairs?" Severus asked. Lucky moved her mouth from side to side as if considering it.

"Nah," she said, managing to work her way past him and down the stairs. Severus then turned and squinted at his wife before stalking over and sitting down beside her.

"Just what is this college thing doing to our daughter?" Severus demanded. Unperturbed by the tone in his voice, Quintin demanded his attention.

"It's simply a new battle technique, Severus," Jennifer explained, smiling softly as she handed Quintin over. "She is simply learning a new way of fighting to get what she wants out of life." Severus thought about it.

"Yes, that does sound like something Lucky would do, doesn't it? I suppose she hasn't changed much after all," he decided, slightly reassured.

"A bit, but not really much at all, no," Jennifer agreed with amusement. Quintin was pulling insistently on his father's robes.

"Yuckie," Quintin said, pouting.

"Now? But we start in ten minutes," Severus said, sighing at him with exasperation.

"I'll go change him, Severus…"

"He doesn't need to be changed, Jennifer, he needs to go to the nursery so he can use the bathroom."

"I'll take him, Father," Andrew quickly offered, grabbing Quintin and getting them both out of the line of fire.

"What? Really, Severus, he's much too young for that. The books all say that the average toddler…"

"Damn the books, Jennifer, none of our children were average. He was ready, so Ashley and I trained him," Severus said.

"You what?" Jennifer exclaimed with a hurt expression. "You left me out of this?"

"I wouldn't have had I thought for a moment you would have listened," Severus said.

"Well, I'm not speaking to you," Jennifer decided, pointedly looking towards the pitch and ignoring him.

"Anyone have a guess how long she'll succeed?" Conner Donovan asked mischievously from right behind them.

"Five minutes, give or take, until she thinks of something to say she'll think he'll react to," Corey decided.

"Honestly, they go on like this all the time, yet no one ever seems to believe it when I tell them how out of hand our parents get," Aurelius said. "And in public, no less."

"Old age, it gets to everyone," Conner shrugged.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Conner," Severus warned dangerously, Conner simply grinning in response.

"Hullo! What are you three doing back there?" Jennifer laughed.

"Listening to you two bicker, mostly," Aurelius snorted.

"If she'd simply put down the books on child rearing, we wouldn't have anything to bicker about," Severus said irritably.

"Good luck, I could never get Rose to get rid of the damned things," Corey chuckled, standing up. "But in Dad's defense, I would like to point out that Alex, Rel, Amber and Destiny were all trained well before they were two, and personally, I think you ought to be relieved, considering the way the ones that don't want to bother with it behave. Carol thought she'd never get Andrew trained…"

"Can we please change the subject of this conversation?" Aurelius snapped. Corey simply grinned and waved goodbye to them as he hurried down towards the pitch. Aurelius turned to Conner instead. "Honestly, it's quite embarrassing, and there are other people in this box besides family, you know."

"You can be embarrassed all you like now, Rel, but I guarantee you that you'll be doing it too when Ginger has her baby," Conner taunted. Jennifer stared at him in shock.

"I wasn't planning on telling anyone about that yet!" Aurelius scowled at him, but his mother interrupted any attempt at a halfhearted apology, making enough of a fuss that everyone in the teacher's box knew what was going on by the time they got her to sit back down again.

"It's splendid, isn't it splendid? Severus, you don't seem shocked at all!" Jennifer scolded him.

"Jennifer, in a family our size, grandchildren are nothing if not inevitable. Besides, as you'll recall I had lunch with Ginger this afternoon and we already spoke of it," Severus admitted.

"You what?" Jennifer said. "That does it. I really don't care how busy I get with security this year, I am going to keep my eye on you from now on, Severus, and don't be surprised if I leave my spectacles off for a while."

"We're back," Andrew declared. "And just in time, looks like."

"Lovely! Oh, but Lucky's not back yet! Standing down with Dale, I suppose," Jennifer decided, taking Quintin. "Ah, here come Danny and Ace now." She pointed to the two riders on brooms as they did a flyby over all the stands in the Quidditch Pitch and landed on one of several floating platforms in the middle of the Pitch.

"Welcome, students, parents, professors, and honored sports enthusiasts to the Hogwarts School of Witch and Wizardry's Junior Olympics!" Bellamy said, his voice ringing out over the crowd. "I am retired Wing Commander Earnest Bellamy, Defense Professor."

"And I am Danyelle Brittle, Sports Director and Brooms Instructor," Danyelle said. "We will be your main commentators for these events, and we are glad to have you here for these opening ceremonies. We will be starting with the anthem and our school song, and have arranged for four different musical groups to represent the four houses, who will also be providing the entertainment for the evening. So, in no particular order, for Hufflepuff, we have the Hogwarts choir… and guest," she added with amusement, when she saw Ambrose standing in the mix and waving up in the stands. "For Gryffindor… the Weird Sisters," she said, having to plug her ears at the enthusiasm from the students. "For Ravenclaw, Second Chance… and their guest," she said, having to plug them again for the shrieks coming from the girls. But Jennifer was also quite excited, for down in the mix was Flitwick's Enchanted Band, there to back up the boys. "And last but not least… the Four Winds for Slytherin!" she said, only getting modest polite applause in response. Jennifer glanced over her shoulder in surprise, wondering when Corey snuck off, but then clapped enthusiastically. "Oh well, we can't all sing like Tremlett," she chuckled at herself, stepping over where the rest of the band had alighted on brooms on the same platform she was on.

"Let's all stand now, if you please?"

Jennifer stood with a sigh, glancing at Quintin who at the moment seemed disinterested in everything but who was in his general vicinity. So far everything seemed to be going without a hitch, she thought, then immediately wondered if that it was too soon to draw any conclusions. Had she truly gotten so paranoid over time, she wondered? After all, it was less than a year ago they had been at war and Nelson had nearly taken out her entire family with a single spell. And still the spell existed… Bagman was still out there somewhere… and although they assumed he was far there was no guarantee of that.

She glanced over at the Slytherin box, barely making out in the distance where her father and stepmother sat companionably next to Peter Gamban, and on the other side of him Adam Hinge, his cringe of pain as they began to sing Hogwarts Forever quite visible even at a distance. Down below in the Gryffindor stands stood Harry, Ron, Sirius, and Zack Black. Even the Weasley twins were down there, Jennifer realized with a grin, while in the box sat Arthur and Molly, Bill and Heather, Perry Dalance, Erik Dalance, and Tonks.

"All right?" Severus murmured softly to her as they sat down, and Jennifer realized her discomfort must have shown on her face more than she had intended. She smiled reassuringly.

"All right," Jennifer replied. "Wasn't expecting Flower of Scotland after God Save the Queen, though."

"I'd rather not offend anybody if I can help it," Severus murmured.

"What about those who might be offended because they played them together, Severus?" Jennifer teased. Severus blinked.

"I hadn't thought of that," he admitted, then became distracted as the first of the fireworks went off as the Weird Sisters began to play. He squinted, having seen something in the flash of light. Had he just imagined it? Frowning, he stared at the top of one of the turrets waiting for the next burst, seeing the same odd shadow above it. Growing more alarmed, he glanced at the next turret and the next, seeing the same odd shadows. "We appear to be surrounded."

"What?" Jennifer asked, not quite sure that she heard him correctly and then glanced up as another collection of fireworks went up. It was then that she clearly saw that on each turret was a gargoyle perched dark and still; staring out onto the pitch. "What are they doing up there?"

"Watching us, apparently," Severus murmured softly back. "Perhaps we should make some very subtle security changes, since we have no idea how they got up there."  
>"Right," Jennifer agreed, then looked over at Andrew with a grimace. "Sorry, Andrew."<p>

"You know, this is all too noisy for me. I think I'd much prefer a comfortable chair, tea, biscuits, and a good book… more than likely, _the Fantastic Book of Magical Clocks_."

"Tock-tock," Quintin replied with interest, going with Andrew without complaint.

Thomas Craw squinted as he noticed Andrew whisking Quintin away, followed by a momentary scramble as Aurelius and several of the school faculty decided to slip down the stairs within a minute of each other and just before the students began organizing into processions.

"What is wrong, Thomas?" Fleur whispered.

"Not sure," Thomas said, but made a subtle gesture of his own to the box across the way. "But if Severus isn't going to take chances, neither am I."

"Do you suppose that is why those statues are there?" Fleur asked, Thomas following her gaze with a frown.

Down below, Dale had just finished his opening number and had stepped into the gates to get away from the students when he saw Lucky staring up at the turrets. There was another flash and he saw them as well, completely still and yet somehow menacing at the same time.

"That's not normal, is it? Is that part of their new security or something?" Dale asked Lucky curiously.

"I don't care if it is or not. And I don't care if it is just a TV show… if I see one Weeping Angel, I am outta here." Lucky said seriously. Dale laughed softly, but the laugh died when he thought he saw one of the gargoyle's wings move.

"No, I don't think I blame you," Dale decided, reluctantly getting ready for the second part of the show.

As the ceremonies drew to a close, Jennifer couldn't help but envy the majority of people who were there having a good time watching their children, oblivious to the fact that anything out of the ordinary was happening at all. None of the students really questioned how quickly Hermione sorted out the students who were going to be staying with their parents from the ones going back to the castle or how briefly they talked to them; after all, it was quite late, and many of them had events to practice the next day. But even with them safely out of the picture, Jennifer was stuck chatting with lingering parents, still feeling eyes on her back the entire time.

"Are you certain my son's marks aren't slipping because of all of this?" Regina asked her with pursed lips. "Not that I care for his choice in profession, but I would like to make sure his marks are up in case he goes into something else, and he wrote to me that he wants to try for the hexathlon."

"Don't worry, Ms. Wisecraft, Commander Bellamy has assured us he's more than up to it, and I really don't think you need worry about his marks. You need high marks in all major studies to be an Auror, and he is quite motivated to do his best. I'm sure his marks will be fine," Jennifer said, wondering what excuse she could come up with to get back inside. "As for your concern about him getting hurt, Mike is quite athletic and serious about his training. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he won the thing."

"Don't be so naïve, Professor Craw," Regina said in such an exasperated tone that Jennifer blinked. "Donald didn't join the hexathlon until Michael said he was entering. He'll stop at nothing to humiliate his brother, even if it means his twin gets hurt. I really don't like them competing against one another, Professor, it's not healthy." Jennifer gazed at her steadily. It was quite unlike Regina to be so open and honest, both to Jennifer as well as herself.

"I understand, Regina, I'll keep a careful eye on them," Jennifer said solemnly.

"Thank you," Regina said. "I shall head home now."

"Have a good evening," Jennifer said with a smile, watching her go before hurrying to find Severus.

He was standing talking to Erik, Perry and Tonks, but he paused when she came near, gazing at the forced smile on her face thoughtfully.

"Good evening, Jennifer!" Erik said warmly, the other two greeting her as well. "Anything wrong?"

"No, not especially, everything went off splendidly well," Jennifer said. "Severus, I want to chat with Filius a moment, but after that do you suppose it's too early to start the room counts? I rather want to make sure all the students are accounted for, whether they are intending to stay in the castle or the pavilions."

"Not at all, Jennifer. In fact, I believe Filius is staying at the Pavilions until after Halloween, so you needn't feel too pressed about visiting tonight. He'll be around," Severus said.

"How lovely! I'll have to find some time away to visit tomorrow then! I'd best say hello, then I'll head in," Jennifer said. "Nice to see all of you, hope to see you again during the games."

"We'll be around, Jennifer," Erik agreed with a smile, while Tonks had a much more suspicious expression as she hurried off.

"So just why is the school on such high alert, anyway?" Tonks asked Severus bluntly.

"Tonks," Erik said with a warning smile.

"The games, what else? After all, there are a great deal of guests either on the school grounds or across the tracks," Severus answered calmly.

"Well, I know, Severus, but it's not like the school doesn't have special events every year, even if they aren't quite to this scale. The security this time seems a bit overboard even for you. And why the gargoyles?" she asked.

"Tonks, Jennifer organized all the security arrangements, I simply approved of them, and there's nothing she's suggested that I thought was overboard in any way," Severus said. Tonks glanced over her shoulder. "As for the gargoyles, they are the same ones that have always been at the castle, they simply move about on occasion."

"At your direction. So why the precaution?" Tonks pressed.

"Adora, dear, you are not a faculty member any more," Erik said firmly. "We're not privy to all their security precautions, you know." Frowning at both his choice in names as well as the fact he was right, Tonks finally shrugged.

"Okay, fine. I was only trying to find out if he needed any more help," Tonks admitted.

"Perhaps you can ask Harry, he'll be staying at the Pavilions most evenings," Severus offered.

"He didn't tell me that!" Tonks exclaimed with exasperation, but seemed more at ease. "I think I'll go say hello then."

"I'll meet you over there," Erik said, waving her away. "Sorry about that, Severus, but it was a bit alarming seeing them up there like that. Of course, they also were probably a great deterrent for that very fact," he added mischievously.

"Yes, they probably were," Severus agreed. "Thank you for coming, Erik."

"Of course, Severus, I wouldn't miss it. I will see you soon… probably at all of Derry's events if nothing else," Erik said.

"Definitely, and the Quidditch matches as well," Perry agreed. As the two of them walked back towards the gates, Severus stepped back into the shadows, gazing at the gargoyles thoughtfully before walking back inside.

Jennifer, who had just got down with the first round of bed checks, noting the discrepancy carefully, glanced over her list of unaccounted for students and decided that using the map was probably the most efficient way to go in locating them. As she walked up the main stairwell, she saw Charles and Chris running up them towards the Gryffindor tower. Chuckling softly, Jennifer marked the two of them off before continuing up the stairs, double checking her list of permission slips for the pavilions to make sure that none were on her follow up list that shouldn't have been.

"Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here," Jennifer recited, pausing outside the Headmaster's Study.

"Incorrect," said a woman's voice.

"What? No, it isn't. I was here when he set it…what are you doing here?" Jennifer said in surprise and annoyance, for it was the Rowena Ravenclaw statue standing at the door.

"Would you like to hear my riddle?" the statue asked.

"No, I most certainly would not! I don't believe students ought to be forced to answer riddles to get into their rooms, which is why I had you removed in the first place!" Jennifer snapped.

"I was removed because the housemaster of Ravenclaw couldn't successfully answer any of my riddles," the statue said.

"My answers made a lot more sense than yours!" Jennifer shouted at it.

"Well, let's see, shall we test that? Do you want me to start with something simple?"

"Don't patronize me!" Jennifer snapped. "Or so help me I will gag you again! You will let me in now!"

"Golden hair wound about me, waiting for the wand that will change me. I may become a thing of beauty or modesty, comfort or functionality, cradled like a rod and displaying her lady's station as a symbol of her family. What am I?"

"You're going to be rubble in a moment!" Jennifer swore.

"A distaff," said a voice from somewhere behind her, Jennifer looking around in surprise but seeing no one there. It took her a moment longer to realize it had been the voice of Icarus Ravenclaw.

"Correct," the statue said with a thin smile, the statue sliding away to clear the way to the spiral staircase.

"What in blazes is a distaff?" Jennifer said irritably.

"It's a staff used to hold flax, wool and the like when one is making thread… a sort of precursor to the spinning wheel," Icarus explained as he materialized. "One of the instructors here when the school first opened was a weaver and had a charmed distaff. In fact, I believe she helped make my cloak, so it isn't really all of that surprising one of the statues riddles refers to it. I'm rather surprised to see her here, though."

"Not as surprised as I am! We need to find the Headmaster's regular door guard at once!" Jennifer said, storming up the stairs.

"My mother always did like riddles," Icarus commented, following her up the stairs calmly. "It was a form of entertainment for her. After all, we did have so few forms of entertainment in those days."

"Yes, well, it is a passion that I do not share," Jennifer said irritably.

"Obviously," Icarus agreed.

"And in any case, she was not designed to guard this door. Armando, ask the Headmaster to come to his study as soon as he is able over a matter of security, and Albus, see what you can find out about what happened to the other statue. Better yet, maybe I ought to contact the Professor," Jennifer decided. Icarus lingered in the study as Jennifer opened the door and looked inside the nursery to see Andrew sitting in the chair with Quintin on his lap. Quintin, who looked almost ready to doze off from Andrew's reading, suddenly looked wide-awake. But Jennifer paid no attention to the irritated sigh as she went to the portrait of herself… and found it empty.

"Drat, they could be anywhere," Jennifer grumbled out loud.

"Something wrong, Mum?" Andrew asked.

"Most decidedly," Jennifer agreed. "Any idea where the gargoyle that guards the study went?" Andrew stared at her in surprise.

"I came in through the fifth floor," Andrew said. "Is he missing too?"

"Yes, and the Rowena statue is standing in its place," Jennifer said.

"Really? Isn't that odd… if someone wanted to cause trouble, why did they leave someone to guard in its place?" Andrew asked. They heard a noise and Jennifer peered out the door, walking out to meet Severus whose eyes darted around before meeting hers.

"You'd better look down the spiral stairs if you haven't yet," Jennifer advised and Severus immediately went in that direction. Jennifer waited with her arms folded until he came back up the stairs, looking quite annoyed.

"Armando, where is my dragon gargoyle?" Severus asked.

"I really don't know, Severus," Armando admitted.

"I was thinking of trying Professor Rogue, but my portrait isn't in her frame, Severus." Jennifer said.

"This late at night they could be anywhere in the castle, you know how they get. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try your office, not that it'll do much good. This cannot continue any further, it's too much of a security risk," Severus said with a sigh. Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically as he strode back out and down to the Trophy Room.

Caprica was snoring soundly as he got a feather out of his cloak pocket, staring at it reluctantly. Sighing again, he brushed it across the painting and under its nose, Caprica sneezing before almost instantly becoming awake.

"Oh, it's still you, I see. How long have I been asleep?" Caprica inquired.

"Not long enough," Severus said dryly, Caprica laughing at that. "There is a problem with the gargoyles. They seem to be rearranging themselves and aren't responding to my commands. I've been informed that you can reset them."

"Oh yes, Severus, I can reset them," Caprica agreed. "But what I cannot do is guarantee they'll stay put once they've returned to where they originally were supposed to guard."

"Yes, but how are they moving?" Severus asked.

"Well, they're not moving on their own, if that's what you're concerned about. They're simply statues charmed to guard specific doors, passages and areas. If they're moving, someone is commanding them to," Caprica said.

"Didn't you tell me a long time ago that only the headmaster of this school has the power to move those statues?" Severus snapped accusingly.

"I did say that," Caprica admitted thoughtfully, but then shrugged. "Apparently I was wrong."

"What of the Headmaster portraits? Can any of them move the gargoyles besides yourself?"

"Nope, can't think of a one, although I can think of a few who would be offended by you asking…"

"All the same, as a precaution I think I'll get a second opinion on that," Severus said, glancing at the Sentinels painting and towards the boy with dusty brown hair. "Corey, where is Professor Rogue?"

"Oh him? I don't think he's in the castle at the moment," Corey shrugged, watching the card game.

"Not in the castle?" Severus repeated in disbelief.

"Mom talked him into going on holiday somewhere," Corey explained. "They've been gone a while now, maybe they'll be back on Halloween."

"They went on holiday in the middle of a school term?" Severus scowled.

"Well, it's not like you didn't do it on occasion," Corey pointed out. "Besides, I think it's a good sign, don't you? Mom and Dad never would have left the castle if they thought Hogwarts was in danger at all."

"They're both Headmaster paintings and a part of the school security, and with everything going on they should be here, regardless. Go and find them and tell them they're needed back," Severus snapped.

"Well, I'll try, but it won't be easy. Dad isn't easy to find when he doesn't want to be bothered by anyone," Corey warned with a sigh.

"How ironic, it was always exactly the opposite for me," Severus said dryly, turning back to Caprica. "How long will it take you to reset the gargoyles?"

"Already done, Severus. They're returning to their normal positions," Caprica said.

"Thank you. Feel free to go back to sleep now," Severus added.

"No, you've convinced me that things here need my attention. It's obvious you're concerned about security, so I think I'll stay awake and help you watch over things," Caprica said cheerfully. "Besides, you never know when you're going to need me to reset the gargoyles again, considering you don't know who is behind it yet. No…no, don't thank me. I know it'd hurt you worse than it'd hurt me," she added, and then laughed. Having come to the same conclusion, Severus simply strode out of the room in irritation, wondering how much he was going to regret his decision.

"So now what?" Corey asked when he was well out of the room.

"Now that he knows I'm awake, we don't have to be quite so sneaky any longer, do we?" Caprica said cheerfully. "Time to let the students in to the fact I'm awake as well."

"I'm on it," Corey agreed, stepping out of the frame.


	11. Loans and Sharks

Chapter Eleven

Loans and Sharks

It was the fact that a large number of seats in the Great Hall were empty that made Leu realize that something was going on. Not even Noah seemed to be around, so Leu walked out into the corridor towards the library when Keir caught up with him.

"What are you doing in the castle? Don't you want to go out to the pitch?" Keir asked.

"But I don't have practice until tomorrow…"

"Never mind that, come on. I don't suppose you could loan me a pair of sickles?" Keir asked, pulling him along with him.

"Maybe. How long do you want the loan for?" Leu asked seriously.

"I dunno, 'til my father shows up to watch the events, I suppose," Keir shrugged.

"Rather hard to figure out a fair interest rate when I don't even know how long the loan is for," Leu commented. Keir rolled his eyes.

"Don't get all goblin on me, Murphy, there are enough of those running around as it is," Keir said. Leu stopped short.

"What do you mean?" Leu demanded.

"Out there, of course, but we'll hit the Hogsmeade corner of the pitch first. There are more food options over there," Keir coaxed. "Come on, don't you want to see what's set up on the grounds? Well, I'm going, even if you're not."

Leu watched with a frown as Keir continued on towards the pitch, noticing how many other students were going in the same direction. Finally his strong curiosity won out and Leu hurried to catch up with his friend.

In the center of the Quidditch Pitch dozens of students had already gathered for practice while others hung around the lunch table, which now simply held sack lunches and drinks instead of the variety it had before. There was plenty of variety to be had elsewhere, for a great number of vendor tents had been set up along the bottom of the stands… some plain white while others were colorful with streamers or flags on top. As Keir walked over to the more conservative side of the pitch, Leu noticed a familiar face and veered towards one of the more popular booths… one that featured candy, ice cream, and a large selection of small toys, games, and collectables. Leu glanced at a cloth banner tied around the top of the poles, which read: "St. Mungo's Orphan's Fund". Right beside it was a much larger tent which had a similar banner that read: "St. Mungo's Reconstruction Project", which had a rather impressive collection of paintings, gifts, and books, along with a small fruits and vegetable stand and a wooden platform with a shelf full of alchemy supplies for any students needing refills of ingredients. Leu squinted when he noticed that a young goblin seemed to be attending the alchemy potions, while Alicia Pyther watched the other half of the shop from a stool, giving her feet a rest while Ginger Snape stocked the shop and tried to glean what information she could about pregnancy in general from the other expectant mother.

"All right, who's next?" Lindsay asked with exasperation.

"Apollo was next, I believe," Corey said, handing a parcel off to Max Starling. Excitedly, Max hurried off to find Maurice and the others. "Let's try splitting this up. How about you take over toys and I'll man the ice cream side?"

"Can I help?" asked one of the three younger helpers that were there. He had dark hair and a tan complexion, and looked to be nine or ten from his height.

"You can help most by stocking the Wizards of MC cards, Hadrian. Delaina, would you stock the candy?" Corey said. "Everyone who is just here for the pumpkin ice cream, make a line to the right."

"Here, you get the ice cream and I'll get the cards. You were going to lend me two sickles, weren't you?" Keir said, holding his hand out.

"Well, all right, but I really shouldn't give you the coins before I've had a chance to write out the contract yet…"

"Let's not get silly again," Keir said impatiently, taking the money and going over to stand in line, while Leu found himself wondering what he meant by that.

"How many?" Corey asked when Leu made it to the front of the line.

"Um… two, please," Leu said, wondering how Keir was going to pay him for the cone when he had just borrowed money for the cards.

"Thank you very much," Corey said in an almost playful tone, handing over the cones.

"Just what are you doing here? Don't you have your own booth?" Leu asked, taking the cones.

"I have a large one at the Pavilions, and a small one with just ingredients right next door, as you can see. That's Dasher over there running it for me right now, actually, his brother Sprinter is with my clerks back at the other booth," Corey explained, getting another cone for the next student in line.

"But that doesn't explain why you're here," Leu said.

"I suppose you'd call it, 'paying it forward,'" Corey said with a smile. "Can there be any better reason? Now, who is next in line? How many?"

"What do you suppose he means by that?" Leu asked Keir when he joined him near the front of the other line.

"By what?"

"I asked him what he was doing here, and he said 'paying it forward'," Leu explained.

"Oh, that's just some silly catch phrase they're using these days to tell you to support local charities and stuff," Keir shrugged, grabbing ten packs of cards.

"It is a bit more than that," Lindsay said, counting the packs. "Paying it forward means that when someone does you a good turn, you show your gratitude by helping others. That way, it keeps the original good deed going, perpetuating more and more down the line as those you helped do the same."

"Wait… you lost me. If you don't pay back the person who originally helped you, how could helping someone else possibly matter? You still owe the original debt," Leu protested.

"Well, yes but… honestly, I think it's something you'll have to try for yourself to understand, Leu" Lindsay said with a smile.

"All right," Leu said, pushing his cone at Keir. Keir stared at Leu in surprise as he stepped behind the counter. "I would like to, thanks." Lindsay looked up at Corey, who smiled warmly in response.

"Hadrian, why don't you introduce Leu to the others and show him how to stock?" Corey suggested cheerfully, going back to what he was doing.

For the rest of the week, when Leu didn't have a practice, he was helping at the booth, often finding different adults waiting for him when he came. Sirius Black had been there one day, and Taylor Brittle another, although no matter who was there, a goblin dutifully looked after the alchemist supplies within the main Mungo's tent.

Noah often watched Leu with a frown… sometimes invisible, sometimes above the booths on the back of his Thestral, wondering about his friend's odd behavior and determination. On the nights the Leu had practice, he came back to the room particularly exhausted and had very little to say, finishing his homework and collapsing on his bed without so much as a word to Noah.

"Don't you have to help with the qualifiers for the underwater obstacle course this weekend?" Noah complained when he came in late on Friday as well.

"Yes, of course," Leu yawned.

"You're coming in awfully late then, don't you think?" Noah said. Leu gazed at him quizzically then at the clock, putting down his books.

"I was studying in the Owl room. Did I miss something?" Leu asked.

"Forget it," Noah said with annoyance, turning to his own homework, which he had yet to touch.

"Did you need help with that? I expect it'd be better to get everything but our ghost interviews done before the ball tomorrow," Leu offered.

"I'll be all right. Who did Professor Scribe give you to interview?" Noah asked.

"The Fifth Floor Phantom," Leu said. "I was rather hoping to get you, but she thought it'd be better if I interviewed someone else since we were friends already."

"That's all right, he's a good friend of Myrtle's so maybe we can introduce you at the ball," Noah suggested. "You are going to hang with Myrtle and me, aren't you?"

"Well, maybe for a little bit, although… well, I did promise to hang with Amy Weasley too. I hope you don't mind if she comes along," Leu said.

"Amy Weasley?" Noah grimaced. "Why would you want to hang with her? She's a bit of an airhead, isn't she?"

"No, she's not, she's just rather focused on her interests, is all… see, her father and I used to work together, and she's interested in treasure hunting and archeology and other things I'm not sure the other first years really understand. But I do, you see, so she asked if she could go with me because she's had some trouble relating to some of the others… sort of like how I was when I first came here," Leu explained.

"No, you were much worse than she is. At least she's got her looks, so more than likely she'll always have boys following her around no matter how much she talks about excavation or whatever the hell else she prattles about," Noah said critically.

"I think I'm going to bed," Leu decided. "And I very much hope you're in a better mood in the morning."

"It'll be like any other morning. They're all the same," Noah said irritably, fading out so that only his quill was showing. Leu sighed again and went to bed, uncertain this was a simple case of 'ghost angst' or if something else was going on. Well, at least he knew with Halloween approaching there could be little doubt that Zack would be in the castle, he thought, although part of him couldn't help but wonder if it was something he had done as he tried to get comfortable and pulled the covers over his head.

On the other side of the castle, Helena was very much wishing she could do the same thing. After doing her rounds in the corridors, she went over a list in her hand, belatedly adding the name of the ugly gargoyle, which had been sitting in the common room since just after the opening ceremonies.

"A bit late to be out, isn't it?" Don commented, and Helena looked over to see him sitting on one of the couches.

"Oh, the Headmaster asked all the prefects to help keep an eye out for gargoyles. Apparently he reset them for security reasons, and since the castle and their duties have changed over hundreds of years, they're not exactly sure where all of them are. They have found most of them, though," she added.

"Well, I don't see why any of you have to help look for them. He should have the staff do that sort of thing, that's what they get paid for, after all. Besides, we have enough to do between schoolwork and the competitions and the ball coming up… you are going with me, aren't you?" Don said, taking Helena by surprise.

"Me? But I've got my ghost interview to do, and… I promised to help with the Owl's booth as well…"

"Oh, what do they need a booth for? The only goal you have this year is to help with the Olympics!" Don scowled.

"That's true, but there will be other projects, you know…"

"Who cares? We graduate this year! Besides, it's starting to sound like you're just trying to make excuses. You haven't been the same since we got back to school this year," Don complained.

"I'm sorry, but I really have been busy," Helena protested.

"Fine, then you can make it up to me by taking a walk down the dead end passage with me," Don decided. Helena blinked.

"I can't go down there with you. I'm Head Girl, after all! I have a reputation to keep…"

"What reputation? You're a Weasley, aren't you?" Don said, Helena turning red in response.

"I'm still a Slytherin Prefect, so I'm not about to do anything that'd shame the house. If you want that sort of thing, you'll have to find some other girl who doesn't have as much to lose," Helena said.

"Personally I think it's you who has something to lose," Don said quietly. "After all, spell research does need funding, and my father is known to support that sort of thing. I'm sure he'd be willing to be very, very generous to any girl I'm interested in."

"That's lovely for whomever that might be, then. I'm going to succeed on my own merits, not anyone else's. And if you had been paying any real attention, you'd have known that about me a long time ago. I'd rather keep things between us friendly, Don, but I hope you've realized by now that we just aren't in the same book, let alone on the same page about anything. I need to get some sleep," Helena said, walking towards the dorms.

"I suppose you think my brother's on your page, then?" Don challenged her angrily. Helena gazed at him thoughtfully.

"To be honest, I really don't think I'm on his, not that I'm not fine with that. I do want to make my way in the world first before I get tied down. If you're smart, you'd feel the same way," Helena advised. Quietly she slipped into her room and closed the door softly so not to disturb her sleeping roommates. She let out a long sigh.

"Not exactly stable, that one, is he?" said a quiet voice behind her. Helena looked around in surprise, and then relaxed when she saw that Dusthorn had snuck into the painting hanging there.

"You can say that again," Helena whispered. "What are you doing awake?"

"The Headmaster woke me to reset the gargoyles," Caprica said with an amused twinkle that made Helena wonder if there was more to it than what she was saying.

"If you ask me, it might have been better off if you hadn't, considering we still can't find all of the gargoyles since they've been reset," Helena complained.

"Probably because everyone is looking in the wrong places," Caprica suggested.

"I rather think that goes without saying," Helena said.

"What I mean is that places needing protected aren't usually put down a main corridor where students and staff are going to be wandering every day. Of course you're not going to find them in plain sight. There is nothing there that actually needs guarding, is there?" Caprica pointed out.

"True," Helena answered thoughtfully. "But if there are hidden rooms and such in the castle, I'm sure the Headmaster already knows about them, right? I mean, the Chamber of Secrets was discovered ages ago, and the Headmaster has that map that shows all the other rooms. Surely everything the castle has been protecting has been uncovered by now," Helena said. Caprica laughed at that.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth, Helena. Were a Headmaster to go out of his way to try and uncover all the mysteries of this castle, he wouldn't have time to do anything else… and I assure you that this particular Headmaster would rather that all those unfound mysteries of the castle stay unfound just so he doesn't have to deal with them," the portrait grinned mischievously. "In fact, he would probably fight tooth and wand to make certain that none of those mysteries invade his life right now, even suspecting as he might that what is happening with the gargoyles is tied into one or two of them."

"I doubt he's fighting it. After all, he is getting us to look for the gargoyles, and if we learn where they are, it may give a clue as to what made them move about in the first place," Helena decided.

"Quite true. Assuming he ever finds them all, of course," Caprica added. "I have some volunteers of my own looking for them as well, by the way…"

"Don't you know where they are? Considering you're the one who moved them," Helena pressed.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. I may have a security charm woven into me to send them back, but I'm still only a painting and only have a limited knowledge of things. I wasn't painted until after they were placed, after all," Caprica reminded her. Helena looked thoughtful.

"All right, so who do you have looking for them, then, so we can collaborate?" Helena asked. Caprica looked amused at that.

"Try the library during Halloween," she suggested with a wink, stepping out of the frame and leaving Helena with a suspicious frown on her face.

* * *

><p>Myrtle was always quite excited about the Spectral Ball, but she was especially excited when Helena sought her out early in the evening to interview her for her history assignment.<p>

"I don't mean to take your guest away, Dolan. It'll only take a few minutes, Miss Morning," Helena said apologetically.

"Why, you know my last name! I didn't think anyone knew that!" Myrtle said in surprise.

"I knew it," Noah protested, Myrtle smiling adoringly at him.

"Actually, I went out and looked on the memorial fountain," Helena admitted. "I understand you died from an ancient basilisk attack?"

"Yes, from the one that used to live under this very castle, and in the Chamber of Secrets," Myrtle said, her voice sounding distant and strange. Noah gazed at her expression with a frown. "I spent a lot of time in that bathroom. They were always teasing me, you know, about my glasses. I wanted to be anywhere else but in the school, and since I couldn't leave, the bathroom was the next best thing," she said.

"I like the way you look, Myrtle," Noah put in quickly. "I think they were just jealous, is all, because you're pretty."

"Oh, you're just saying that because you don't want me to get upset," Myrtle said with a scowl.

"No, he might have a point, Myrtle. Some people do put others down like that just to try to make themselves look better, despite the fact in actuality it is really doing the opposite," Helena said. "I bet they felt pretty bad when they found out you died, though."

"Yes, but only because they felt bad for themselves, not because of me," Myrtle said then started to sob, wandering towards the exit. Noah groaned softly.

"I'm sorry, Noah! I didn't mean to upset her…" Helena said sincerely.

"Oh, it's all right. Practically every ghost in the castle is awake right now, so I should be able to rally some supporters to help get her out of there before it turns into a crisis," Noah said. They hurried over to where Sir Nicolas and the Fat Friar were talking while their students for the evening were getting ice cream at the St. Mungo's booth.

"In distress again? She is such a sensitive girl!" Sir Nick said with exasperation. "I suppose I'll have to rise to the occasion before she loses her head."

"My, we wouldn't want that to happen," the Friar said with a laugh. "Should I come with you?"

"No, please see to our guests, I'll be back when I can," Nick said, floating through the wall.

"Now, don't despair, Noah, I'm sure it'll be all right," the Friar said comfortingly. "Myrtle was so excited to hear about the after-party party that I doubt she'll miss it."

"After-party party?" Helena asked.

"It's a ghost gathering that Professor Dusthorn is holding after the living have gone off to bed. It's been a while since we've had such a to do. Nearly every ghost in the castle will be there, won't they, Noah?" the Friar prompted.

"Nearly. I don't think I'm allowed to go, actually," Noah said. The Friar furrowed his brows.

"Not allowed?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm afraid Mr. Dolan is right, Arvis," Icarus Ravenclaw agreed, fading into view. "He's a full time student now, so he has to follow curfew rules."

"Oh, dear, I suppose you're right," the Friar said thoughtfully. "But don't worry! I'll save you some cake! Perhaps even a piece with a nice moldy rose on it."

"Thanks, but I'm more concerned about Myrtle right now. I don't suppose you've seen Llewellyn?" Noah asked.

"Yes, he's over there on the dais trying to get an interview with the Fifth Floor Phantom before the music starts up," Icarus said, pointing to the back of the Great Hall.

"Mind if I go with you? I do feel partially to blame for what happened," Helena admitted.

"You're not, but thanks for coming with me anyhow," Noah said, and the two of them stepped up to where Leu stood next to an organ that seemed to be gently playing itself.

"So you were stabbed in the back? Literally?" Leu asked with interest. "And nobody ever found out who did it?"

"I don't even know why they did it," said a low baritone voice. "Perhaps it was a jealous suitor of one of my female admirers, or perhaps it was simply criticism for my playing. When the theatre burnt down, I had nowhere else to go. Headmaster Dippet took pity on me as a former schoolmate and had me exhumed and moved here. I do not know why I am condemned to such a fate… perhaps the shock of the violence of it all was what kept me from ascending. So long as I have an organ to play, I do not care. I can show defiance for still playing in spite of them!"

"Bravo, that's the spirit. But does it always have to be tunes that are so… creepy?" Leu asked.

"What impertinence!" the deep voice said, hitting a sour note. "If you're going to take that sort of attitude, this interview is over. Why don't you run along and find someone else to insult?" Leu took a couple of healthy steps backward just as Noah and Helena walked up to him.

"Looks like you're having about the same luck as I had with my interview," Helena said.

"I just want him to pick music that isn't quite so intimidating, that's all," Leu said defensively. "Did you get yours done as well, Noah?"

"No, I haven't found Janus yet, but never mind that. Want to help us get Myrtle back out of the bathroom?" Noah asked.

"Sorry, I really can't right now. I promised Amy I'd meet her at the library right after I got done with my ghost interview…."

"You're not even staying for the ball?" Noah frowned.

"I'm sure I mentioned to you before that I planned to hang with Amy tonight," Leu said, Noah looking all the more irritated. "I am sorry, but I promised. Why is Myrtle hiding in the bathroom again?"

"She didn't like her interview," Helena admitted.

"Oh, I suppose it was like how the phantom reacted then. Don't worry, Noah, I'm sure she'll be fine in a day or two, but I really need to get going if I'm going to have any time in the library before Librarian Boulderdash shoos us out," Leu said. "See you in the rooms."

"Fine," Noah said, watching him go. "I really don't know what's gotten into him this year. He's just not the same as last year."

"Really? He seems the same to me, even though he does smile every now and then. Last year he didn't smile at all," Helena commented. "I do admit to being curious as to what he's up to in the library. I think I'll go see what I can find out once I know that Myrtle has calmed down. Come on, let's go ourselves."

"Fine, but if she's flooded the halls again, you're going to have to talk to her for me," Noah said.

Helena was more than a little relieved to find that several ghosts and Doctor Zack Black was already at the bathroom door, so it wasn't hard to make excuses of not lingering in the halls so that she could hurry to the library. Boulderdash looked up at her when she came in but paid her little mind after that, gesturing over to the Owl door unconcernedly before going back to his book.

Curiously, Helena went in to find Michael, Natalie, Hope, Charles, Leu and Amy sitting at the table, comparing notes.

"Did anyone find that large snake gargoyle? He's not crossed off on my list," Natalie said.

"Yes, I found him guarding the passage to the cistern, just like Maurice thought he might be," Michael said. "What about the one out in the lake? Did it happen to go back there?"

"No, I checked that," Leu said. "In fact, the Headmaster had me check right after it happened. Apparently there used to be an old passage that led straight from the Slytherin rooms to the farm across the tracks, but it was crudely made and collapsed a very long time ago. So he thought that maybe where the gargoyle was under the lake would have been where he was stationed before the tunnel collapsed… but he wasn't there."

"The majority of passages leading out of Slytherin were sealed after Voldemort left the castle. Most are simply dead ends now," Helena explained. "And I just got done checking all of those, and the only statue I ran into was the one of Slytherin, and he never moved from where he was guarding… oh, and Atrocious is in our house rooms… that's the camera breaking one."

"Great, thanks, Helena. We'll check that one off as well," Michael said, and did so. "All right, the only ones I don't have marked off now is the one from the lake, the statue of Gryffindor, and the statue of Ravenclaw."

"The Gryffindor one is standing on the landing of our tower near the Fat Lady," Natalie chimed in. "Maybe the Ravenclaw one is near their rooms as well?"

"I haven't seen it," Leu said, shaking his head.

"Well, I haven't seen it, but I would like to say that her statue wasn't on the prefects lists of ones we needed to find," Helena said. "So the Headmaster already knows where that one is."

"I wonder if they put it in front of the new tunnel?" Amy ventured.

"What new tunnel?" Leu asked.

"The one they're digging near the Potions Lab, of course," Amy said. "Weren't you ever curious what that snake statue was guarding back there? The moment I heard that the Headmaster reset the gargoyles, I went to take a peek since I knew nothing would be guarding it. I ran into Sirius Black while I was exploring it. Apparently, it's going to be a new passage to Hogsmeade."

"We could definitely use a new passage over there," Hope agreed.

"I doubt you'll be using it much, even if they do get it finished this year," Amy warned. "From what I gathered from Mr. Black, that passage is going to lead to the alchemist's basement."

"Really? That'll be nice for getting supplies back and forth from the lab, won't it?" Leu commented, while Hope, Charles and Natalie were less impressed. Just then, the door opened and Boulderdash peered in.

"Ten minutes left, so you'd better finish up your rebellious plans for the evening," Boulderdash warned and then closed the door again.

"What did he mean by that?" Leu asked.

"Librarian Boulderdash told us a long time ago that he didn't care what we plotted together so long as we stayed out of the library," Helena chuckled. "He says sometimes revolutions have to happen to make things change, so it's his way of showing support when he knows we're up to something."

"All I want is to know that the school is going to stay safe during the games. I have enough problems without rogue gargoyles complicating things," Michael said.

"Come on, we should be getting back," Helena said, waiting for the others to pick up their things. Just outside the door, Leu went with the Gryffindors towards the front stairs, while Helena joined Michael towards the back ones, waiting a few moments before finally turning to him. "It's Don, isn't it?"

"What?" Michael frowned.

"You said you had enough problems without the gargoyles…"

"Oh, yeah. He has gotten a bit vicious during practices for certain… always trying to show me up. Yesterday he took a dive hoping to get me in trouble. Commander Bellamy would have none of that, but Don did complain to my father. I have a feeling I'll hear about it this weekend," Michael snorted. "I'll be so glad when this year is over and I won't have to deal with my family anymore. No matter how hard Auror training will be, I'm certain it will pale in comparison to what I've been having to duck and dodge here and at home over the past few years."

"Do you regret it? Being taken out of Slytherin, I mean," Helena asked quietly. Michael sighed.

"No, I don't regret it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been hard," Michael said.

"I understand," Helena said with a nod. "Although it hasn't been a picnic with us still being stuck with Don in the house, either."

"I bet not," Michael admitted with a chuckle, pausing at the corridor leading to the Hufflepuff rooms. "Good night."

"Good night," Helena said, hurrying on to Slytherin. A moment later, one of the secret doors leading into the passage opened up.

"Well, at least they didn't get snoggy or anything," Beth said. Beside her, her other brother looked ready to kill.

"I thought you said you had her wrapped around your finger, Coventry? It didn't sound that way considering that parting shot of hers," Don's friend Lorne Yearling said.

"She is, she was probably just playing him," Don said defensively.

"You should make sure she's not playing both of you," Lorne said.

"That won't happen, I'm not that stupid," Don snorted.

"Maybe not, but if I were you, I'd make a move before your brother does, or that hexathlon won't be the only contest you need to worry about," Lorne advised.

"I'm not worried about either, actually. I've won already, they just don't know it yet," Don said confidently.


	12. Spooks and Spells

Chapter Twelve

Spooks and Spells

Leu was reading in bed by the time Noah floated through the door, the sound of a pile of books hitting the floor made Leu look up. Noah grimaced, opening the door to gather them up.

"Sorry, you'd think I'd remember that the books can't go through doors," Noah muttered.

"It's about time you got back. It's well after curfew, you know," Leu pointed out.

"I had to get my interview done for Professor Scribe," Noah explained, setting the books on the table and pulling out a chair. "Besides, I didn't think you'd care if I was late, considering I'm only a ghost and all."  
>"Why would you say something like that?" Leu asked with a frown. "You know, you really haven't been yourself lately. I don't suppose you're fighting with Myrtle? Is she invading people's showers again?"<p>

"No. Well… yes, she is, but that's not it. I'm just rather lonely is all, and perhaps a bit scared," Noah admitted. Leu put down his book.

"Why would a ghost be scared of anything? Well, except water, of course, but that's not something you can help. This isn't something related to that, is it?" Leu asked. Noah shook his head. "Then what?"

"I just don't want to be alone," Noah said.

"I don't see how you can be alone in this castle," Leu said at last. "Especially not with that ruckus downstairs. There are more ghosts here than anywhere in the country, you know. Not to mention how many human friends you have… not just me, either. Keir likes you too, and Mum, and everyone, really."

"In a few years you'll graduate and move on… even the staff here will eventually move on, replaced by others that don't know me. Now that I know I can't even count on Myrtle being here, I really don't know what to do," Noah murmured.

"Why can't you count on Myrtle?" Leu asked with a frown. "I don't see how why you can't. I doubt she'd ever get so angry or upset enough to leave you."

"Not like that," Noah said with a sigh. "There are two sorts of ghosts, you know. Those condemned to their existence by their own actions, and those of us who just had a bit of bad luck, and because of our mental state at the time of our deaths couldn't leave this world properly. If Myrtle ever gets over what caused her to go crying in the bathroom in the first place, I think… chances are… that she'll finally be ready to ascend."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Leu asked slowly.

"How would I know? I've never done it," Noah snapped, but then calmed down almost immediately. "What do you suppose it's like? Is it just another place, like heaven and hell, or is it like sleeping and never waking up? Or maybe you just sort of fade, and your soul just gets absorbed into a collective cosmos of thoughts?"

"If you don't know, I certainly don't. I would like to say that there are times when I feel my parents around me still," Leu admitted, lying down and looking up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I smell my mother's perfume when there isn't anywhere the scent could be coming from… or I feel my father behind me, cheering me on. My adopted mother thinks that heaven and hell is a personal thing one takes with them when they pass on, but that people are generally good in nature, despite what it seems like at times. Either way, I know my parents are watching me because I feel them too often to believe different. I do miss them, though."

"I miss my parents too, and my sister," Noah admitted, Leu nodding in understanding. But that understanding met with little comfort, for Noah was still feeling quite lonely when he finished his homework and went to bed.

* * *

><p>Downstairs, the after-party party was getting into full swing. A few professors still wandered through; although the majority had either retired to their rooms or were busy making sure all of the guests were out of the castle. Of course, John Carnegie was still there, busy cleaning up after the annual pie fight at the end of the ball, while Mrs. Norris followed behind him as if inspecting his work to make certain it was satisfactory.<p>

It was about the time when Peeves was reduced to throwing left-over cream puffs through the heads of some of the ghost patrons that Zack emerged with a pair of small glasses in hand, offering one of them to John.

"'T'isn't scotch, I hope," John said mischievously, glancing at the clock to see it was safely after his normal shift before accepting the drink.

"I wouldn't do that to you. It's Inis Whiskey," Zack said with a chuckle.

"I'd settle for a scotch right now. What I wouldn't do for one last scotch," the Fat Friar said wistfully, fiddling with his ghostly hands with anticipation as he waited for the two mortals in the middle of the room to drink them.

"Isn't that how you got in that predicament in th'first place?" John teased him.

"Actually, it was the angelica potion I was experimenting with to cure hangovers," the Friar said. "I was trying to take Carmelite Water to the next level and it backfired somewhat. I had a heart attack."

"But then it surely did cure the hangover, didn't it? If a wee bit dramatically," John winked.

"Well, if you're going to be like that, I think I'll find I'll find better company for the evening," the Friar said indignantly. "And that'll be three Our Fathers and Hail Mary's from you, and I think you'll probably need more, since you'll overdue for a confessional."

"More than likely," John said with extreme amusement as the Friar hovered towards the other side of the room to seek Lady Charlotte. "Just what I needed, tae seek penance from a God forsaken Friar!"

"Well, at least he's come to terms with his sins," Zack chuckled.

"As I have come to terms with mine, thank you very much…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply I was talking about you, John. I meant that some of the other ghosts make up for the docile ones," Zack explained. "And all of the ones who have the strongest angst have been on edge lately… all of them except my priority patient, that is," he said, glancing over where Icarus Ravenclaw hovered near the Bloody Baron, the two of them talking calmly with glasses in their hands. Icarus then glanced over at them curiously.

"It sounds like a blessing, considering how wound up they are. They've been like tha for months now, since the end of last year, as a matter o' fact. Tae long fer it t'be Caprica's influence," John mused. "The Professor thinks it might have been all the security changes, but fer some reason I can't put my finger on, I've been feelin' like there's more to it than that."

"So do I, but maybe for different reasons," Zack said, but didn't have a chance to say more before Icarus hovered over.

"Isn't a bit late for the two of you to be out? Mortals do need their rest, you know," Icarus chided them.

"We'd be getting more rest if all of you went to bed so that John could put the Great Hall back in order and I can stop having to babysit all of you," Zack suggested.

"I'm a Hogwarts Professor, Zachhius. I certainly don't need a babysitter," Icarus said indignantly.

"And what about the rest of 'em, Professor?" John interrupted before Zack could disagree. "Surely you c'n see that the Headmaster would want the good doctor to make sure things stayed civil. Everyone knows that Caprica's parties tend to get out of hand on occasion."

"Hm, well, I suppose you have a point," Icarus decided.

"That said, Professor, I still wouldn't mind a bit of sleep a'fore tomorrow's events, myself," John said.

"Let me see what I can do," Icarus offered. "After all, you do need your rest, and I wouldn't have either of you shirking your duties to the Headmaster to do it. He has enough to worry about right now…"

"Like the gargoyles?" Zack fished.

"I meant the Olympics, of course," Icarus said, tsking at him before hovering towards the tables to start hinting to the other ghosts to return to their regular haunts.

"He's behaving suspiciously normal, if you don't mind me saying so, Doctor," John said, shaking his head at Icarus.

"Yes, I noticed that myself," Zack agreed, folding his arms. "I wonder why none of the ghost psychology books have never covered what to do about them acting too normal?" John chuckled softly at that, and then began putting the tables back to order.

* * *

><p>The next morning, bright and early, Thomas Craw exited the tent and strode through the main pavilion, unsurprised that no one else was awake yet. He frowned when he got to the entrance and saw a hunk of stone in the way, but then noticed it was the back of a large stone snake.<p>

"What are you doing here? Never mind, slither aside, Sashassin. I have an appointment to keep," Thomas said grumpily, and the gargoyle slowly moved to the side. Nearly tripping over the disturbed ground that the gargoyle had left, Thomas muttered under his breath, stopping only long enough to get a potion-laced breakfast tea from the Pannage's booth before taking the brisk walk over the tracks and around the lake.

Leu raced past him in the halls, sliding down the corridor and up to the main staircase, but then stopped short, for he had to wait for the staircase to change.

"See what rushing gets you?" Thomas grunted when he caught up to the boy.

"I don't want to be late," Leu explained.

"They aren't going to start without me, are they?" Thomas pointed out, stepping up the moment the stairs settled, Leu following closely behind.

The two of them arrived in the old art room, which had been cleared to make space for a secondary gym. Aurelius, Andrew, Maurice, Jennifer and Severus were all there, doing some basic warm-ups. Leu hurried over to Severus and held the box of licorice out solemnly.

"Almost forgot your tribute this year, did you?" Severus said expressionlessly, but Jennifer and Andrew changed a private smile behind him.

"I couldn't get to the booths yesterday because of the curfew," Leu explained solemnly. Severus gestured, and Leu quickly fell into line beside Andrew.

"I assume you know why we're here right now," Thomas said, striding towards the front. "Severus, did you come up with some temporal spells to test this thing?"

"A couple of them, although I can't readily guess if they are the same magnitude as the Erase spell," Severus admitted, "especially since I had to choose some that were reversible in case something went wrong."

"In other words, we're learning a spell that may or may not work and testing it with spells that may or may not be good to test with in hopes that this new spell _will_ work… assuming, of course, that we know in advance that someone is trying to cast at us in the first place," Aurelius summarized dryly.

"That's what I've always liked about you, brother, you're such an optimist," Andrew teased.

"The point he's trying to make is that you're not to rely on it… well, not that it matters in your case, Andrew, since you only have your own death to worry about," Thomas said bluntly. "Those of us with generations below us would be better off just getting the hell out of any situation where the Erase spell can be used against us."

"Agreed," Severus said, and Jennifer nodded as well.

"You realize, of course, you're putting your family at risk any time you attend these games, don't you?" Thomas added seriously. "Crowds are security risks, after all…"

"I've already restricted wands and potions past the gates, Dad. No one can enter the school with them unless they're a student, a member of staff, or a licensed Auror or Enforcer, and the students aren't allowed to bring them during any event they're not participating or aiding in," Jennifer said.

"Good. But I suggest you humor me and cast this protection spell on yourselves before any event you attend anyway," Thomas said expressionlessly.

"I believe you were about to explain what it does?" Severus prompted before Jennifer was able to comment.

"It's an altered version of the earthbound spell; the one that keeps you from Disapparating temporarily. This version, however, not only binds you physically to your spot, but on all other levels as well, mentally, spiritually… and hopefully temporally," Thomas said.

"We've been testing it with the Time Turner I borrowed from Father," Aurelius continued when he noticed his mother's furrowed brows and the thoughts behind them. "At the very least, we know it can stop that method of time transportation. Of course, that doesn't guarantee it protects us from anything else…"

"Spare us the second lecture, just come over here so that I can test it," Severus said, pulling his wand out and stepping onto a large mat the size of a sparring ring.

Aurelius walked over and immediately pointed his wand at his own feet, then swept upwards to include the rest of himself. Preparing a simple block spell in case something went wrong, Aurelius took a defensive stance.

As his father's face grew dark and he heard him mumble in words he didn't understand, Aurelius began to have second thoughts about whether or not the binding would hold. The nervousness didn't leave him until his Father's spell slid past him without any effect.

"That seemed to work rather well, Severus. What did you throw at him?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"An aging spell," Severus admitted.

"What?" Aurelius said, stunned. "I thought you said you picked reversible spells!"

"For the most part, I have, but it really wouldn't have hurt you to look a few years older, would it?" Severus said innocently. Jennifer laughed softly until Severus flicked his eyes over at her.

"Don't you dare throw that thing at me," Jennifer said flatly, earning a smirk in response.

"The fact that such a spell didn't go through is a good sign. What else you got in time displacement?" Thomas asked.

"Is there truly any point to testing further? We'd get no closer to proving it works than if we started throwing cleaning spells at one another," Jennifer complained.

Leu tried to follow the conversation of what spell to try next, but after a while of hearing spells that he never heard of before, it was rather hard not to get bored. It was about the time he began hoping they'd simply call off the whole thing and go to lunch that he heard his name called and was asked to line up, then as a group they began to practice the spell repeatedly. Thomas barked at every little mistake that he saw, complained about how slow they were, and a couple of times pointed out his bad footing and even once (and less gracefully accepted) Jennifer's footing. Beside him, Maurice practiced each movement so precise that Leu soon attempted to copy him, hoping that no one would notice.

It was just as Leu was beginning to get comfortable with the movements that he noticed a wispy figure in the mirror. Startled, he focused in on it until he recognized Icarus Ravenclaw, who had been watching them from the doorway with a somber expression.

"Leu, you're not paying attention again," Thomas snapped.

"You can hardly blame him, Father. It is getting close to lunchtime, after all, and the events are to start soon after," Maurice quickly defended.

"Maurice was a point, Thomas, and I believe they have the basics down," Severus added.

"All right, fine, although I would like to see them casting a bit faster than that," Thomas admitted, but gestured a dismissal. Maurice quickly grabbed Leu and pulled him out of the room before his father could change his mind.

"I'll keep drilling them as time permits," Severus offered. "However, I still believe that a charmed item is the best solution."

"Yes, how are you coming with that?" Thomas asked.

"We've a long way to go, Dad. For the record, understanding the rules to Ancient Magic outside of a linear time scale is not for the faint of heart," Jennifer said.

"Nor is understanding the properties of organics versus inorganics when it comes to item making," Severus retorted. "We are spending what time we can on it, but I have been running on a twenty-six hour day as it is."

"It'll probably be months before we have any sort of working prototype," Jennifer agreed with a sigh.

"Then maybe you should stay closer to the school this Yule, especially considering security is tighter here and if we're all together it'll be easier to watch one another's backs anyway. Besides, I doubt all of your guests will want to go home, and I'm sure you would have a much shorter holiday than usual in any case this year," Thomas said.

"True on both points," Severus quickly agreed, Jennifer frowning in irritation. "With everything going on here at the school, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it for a week anyway, Jennifer. I think it'd be more feasible to simply arrange for our family events to take place here."

"Already had words on the subject, have we?" Thomas grunted, looking between them.

"Well, I'm not going to argue with both of you, I know better than that," Jennifer said, despite the fact her tone betrayed how much she wanted to do just that. "Even so, I hope it's not hard on the children by staying… I hope Leu will understand."

"If he gets bored in the castle, send him out to my tent. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm sure Maurice and any of his friends that are staying can keep him entertained," Thomas said unconcernedly. "Besides, since I was planning on staying here anyway, I'll see more of Quintin this way."

"I've rented out a tent lot over the holidays as well," Aurelius put in. "I was planning to cover for Harry on security so he could go home. Ginger is coming too, of course."

"Oh, very well! If everyone else is staying here, I'm certainly not going home," Jennifer said. "I had better grab a sandwich and start setting up for the track preliminaries."

"Well, I'm going to go see what sort of fare the goblin vendors are offering on the Pitch," Andrew said.

"I'll go too," Aurelius said.

"Same, it'll give me a chance to touch base with Maurice before his event," Thomas agreed.

"I need to take care of some things, then I'll meet you there," Severus said. He nodded to them and strode out of the room, the other three walking towards the Quidditch Pitch to await the beginning of the games.


	13. The Games Begin

Chapter Thirteen

The Games Begin

The main doors were pushed open as students went through in droves, some grabbing lunch from the booths while others walked to the stands. Thomas Craw stood near the ticket booth, watching the students with disinterest until he finally picked out his son in the crowd.

Maurice and Garvan were near the center of the pitch, both wearing green sports pants and a metallic silver and green polo with beautiful silver crests and numbers on the back. They were with several other Slytherin boys who were wearing the same, as well as Cain Hinge and Max Starling in regular Hogwarts robes. Suddenly they all looked behind them, so Thomas focused in on the person they were staring at. That was when Thomas saw a familiar seventh year walking over in one of the competition uniforms.

"So Coventry is joining the wand precision prelims?" Thomas observed.

"Yes, Don wants to score high enough to qualify for the hexathlon," Andrew explained. "Only one student from each house will be able to compete in that."

"Really? I'm surprised he'd be interested in anything that rigorous," Thomas admitted. "I've always pictured Don as the pay-someone-else-to deal-with-my-problems-for-me type."

"He is, typically, but this is a personal battle," Andrew murmured. Thomas raised an eyebrow at him. "His brother Mike is the forerunner out of the students who are trying out in Hufflepuff."

"I'm not sure I trust Don's motivation then," Thomas decided, and then came to focus in on the leaner but otherwise obvious twin of Donald, racing around the sandy outside track of the pitch in his bare feet at a swift but effortless pace.

"Neither does anyone on staff," Andrew replied, watching as Michael finished up his run.

Michael grabbed a towel, glancing over at the Slytherin group standing on the pitch before digging his shoes out from the pile under the Hufflepuff stands.

"That was quite a run, especially considering you have wand trials in half an hour," Winnie observed, offering him some water.

"I needed something to help me focus," Mike admitted with a sigh. "Not that I have a shot in hell at besting Maurice in precision."

"Well, fortunately, you don't have to beat Maurice, really. You simply have to score higher than the other Hufflepuff boys trying out for the hex," Winnie reminded him. "Seriously, you'll be fine. Won't he, Diana?" she prompted, glancing at her companion. The girl nodded silently in response.

"Thanks," Mike said, trying not to sound sarcastic despite his uncertainty. "Where's Karen and Summer?"

"Over talking to Hope, I think. Hope is trying out too, you know, although I'm not sure how she'll do considering all the other students are older than her," Winnie ventured.

"True, but I also remember how accurate she was that year we had junior Auror training. She'll at least do well at precision," Mike conjectured. "I'd better go over there."

"Good luck," Winnie said, and Mike wandered over to where Madame Brittle was standing. Most of the other contestants were edging closer as well to make sure they didn't miss anything.

"Just remember why you're here, and don't get too caught up in the fact that there are people on the stands. All of the events being run today are qualifying events, so there's no reason to get stressed over people watching. If you don't make it into any of the fall track events, there are plenty of other events coming up that you can join instead," Danny reminded them. "Once you're ready, feel free to join your fellow competing housemates near the targets set up along the main stands… and don't forget while you're out there you're not only representing yourself and your house, but your families too. I doubt any horseplay or other distractions will go over well considering most of your parents are here."

Don rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her apparent attempt at threats.

"All right, you may go on over to the judge's panel so they can check off your wand before the preliminaries start. Good luck to all of you," she added with a thin smile.

"Just what's that supposed to mean? It isn't as if we can all win," Don muttered with annoyance as the Slytherin walked over together. Three people were sitting at the judges' table, which included Madame Weasley, a tall man with grey hair and a crimped mustache wearing Durmstrang robes, and an elderly, cheerful man so tiny that he needed several pillows to see up over the desk. Behind them stood Professor Craw, chatting so merrily with them that it was obvious she knew both of the guest judges fairly well.

"Wands please," Filius Flitwick said, accepting Don's and ignoring the student's exasperation as he measured the length. "Twelve and a quarter walnut. What is the main component?"

"Ettin hair," Don said.

"Ah, very nice. I bet that packs a punch," Filius chuckled, handing it to Alvin Archibald, who did the memory and charms check on the wand.

"Clean. And this is?" Alvin asked.

"Donald Coventry," Hermione said, and Alvin marked it down. Hermione handed Don a scroll. "This is the list of approved spells you can use today on the targets."

Donald grimaced at the list.

"It has to be one of these?" he asked critically.

"Unless you want disqualified, yes," Hermione agreed with a warning smile.

"Fine," Donald said, accepting his wand back and then waited for the others.

"Ah! What a lovely color! What is it?" Filius exclaimed with appreciation when he examined Maurice's wand.

"Wenge Venowraith scale," Maurice said.

"Another powerful dark wand. Twelve and a half inches," Filius said, handing it to Alvin. Alvin frowned at it.

"There are a number of charms on this one, mostly to keep it from breaking and making certain it stays in his possession," Alvin said, opening one of the books on the table.

"Of course there are charms on it. I wouldn't want to lose it," Maurice said, watching nervously as they began scanning the rulebook. "Does this mean I won't be allowed to compete?"

"Don't worry, Maurice. If there's anything on there that's banned, we can always substitute a different wand," Jennifer reassured him.

"I believe we will need to find a substitute, Professor Craw, since it seems there's also a hex on this wand in case someone steals it," Alvin added, trying to hide his amusement. Maurice chuckled apologetically, but Jennifer knew perfectly well who was to blame and squinted accusingly over at where her father stood talking to Aurelius. Seeing the glare, Thomas came over curiously.

"Trouble?" he asked.

"No, only that Maurice can't use his wand for competition since there's a hex on it," Jennifer snapped disapprovingly.

"Oh. Here," Thomas said, fishing out a case with several wands in it, finding one the right length. "This is one of my emergency wands, so you'll find it quite basic."

"Emergency wands?" Filius asked curiously.

"He keeps them in case he has to kill someone and doesn't want to get caught," Jennifer said dryly.

"Only to save me paperwork on occasion," Thomas said unconcernedly. "I'm a firm believer that nothing can impede justice as much as paperwork can. There you are, Maurice, go out there and show them what a Craw can do."

"All right, but I think they know already," Maurice said.

As the Slytherin contestants cleared out, many of the others came in bunches, including Hope Willowby and Kim Price, who then waited near the tables for Mike as he stepped up to get his wand checked.

"Twelve and a half walnut," Filius said with as much interest as he had when they had first started. "What component?"

"Ettin hair," Mike said.

"Wait… haven't I already seen this wand?" Filius said, and then did a double take on the boy in Hufflepuff colors.

"His brother's, actually," Jennifer explained.

"Extraordinary that they have the same wand," Filius said.

"Not really," Mike sighed. "It was a replacement wand for my first one, so father simply had someone copy my brother's since he wasn't keen on my first wand before it was totaled anyway."

"Oh? What was it, if I might ask?" Filius asked curiously.

"Oh, um," Mike said, grimacing in embarrassment. "Thirteen inch birchwood with cherub down."

"Ah! You must be very strong in your charms, Mr. Coventry!" Filius said with appreciation.

"Yes he is, actually," Hermione agreed, handing him the spell list. "As well as all of his other subjects. Good luck, Mike."

"Thanks," Mike said, walking over to join the others.

"Who was that judge you were just talking to?" Kim asked curiously.

"I haven't the foggiest," Mike admitted. "I thought most of the judges would be professors?"

"No, rather the opposite. I think they're only planning to have one judge out of three to be professors, at least when it can be helped. Natalie said it was to cut down on any complaints of bias," Hope explained.

"Yes, that does make sense," Mike agreed, and then heard Danny calling out to them and hurried to a long bench for waiting Hufflepuff contestants. He glanced over at the stands, frowning when he saw his father in the mix. Trying not to think about it, he focused his attention on those getting ready to try out.

It was just before the first of the Ravenclaws stepped up that Severus managed to slip into place next to Thomas in the front row.

"About time you got here… what, and you're empty handed as well?" Thomas grunted with annoyance.

"I'm not going to interrupt Quintin's schedule every time there's an event you want to attend. Besides, you have no idea what a devil that child can be if he's off schedule even for a single minute, let alone an afternoon," Severus replied.

"At least bring him out on the weekends… better yet, why not let me have him next weekend? It isn't as if the Pavilion isn't just across the lake, after all, and it's not lax on security either, between Harry's patrols and your gargoyles," Thomas said.

"Gargoyles? What gargoyles?" Severus squinted.

"Well, there was one in front of the pavilion this morning… that snake one from the cistern. I take it they moved on their own again?" Thomas concluded thoughtfully. "I admit that at first I was a little surprised to see one that far away from the school, although a lot of those gargoyles were made to guard the passages leading out of the castle, and there used to be one under the lake to that farm… if you believe the old stories, at any rate."

"Yes, I had one placed under the farm last year and never gave it a thought at the time, really. I have no idea where the actual boundary is. I suppose it's now a priority for me to find out," Severus muttered in annoyance.

"You know… after the Order of the Owls helped search for those gargoyles after that reset, they've been keeping a careful eye on them. From what I've discerned and what I've personally observed, the gargoyles still seem to be doing their jobs regardless of where they are," Thomas pointed out.

"That doesn't mean it'll stay that way, since we have no idea who is causing this and what his or her true motive is for moving them," Severus said in a low voice. "There is too much going on right now for me not to have complete control over security." Thomas squinted.

"I thought security was Jennifer's job," Thomas said flatly.

"It is, of course, but ultimately it falls on me as well, you know…"

"Severus," Thomas interrupted, glancing briefly at the pitch to make sure Maurice wasn't trying out yet. "I know the advice I'm going to give you will probably be as hard for you to learn as it was for me, but as an outsider looking in, there is one thing clear and it is something that has been quite obvious for years… in fact, since the year you've taken the position. You need to stop playing the queen instead of the king." Severus blinked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Chess, Severus. It's not your job to charge the front lines anymore, you need to sit back and move the pieces. There's too damn much work on your desk, and just delegating to the pawns isn't enough. If you want more control over you castle, you need to stop being a piece and start moving them!" Thomas declared with such conviction that Severus found himself unable to argue that he had been delegating, especially in recent years.

And yet… Severus was also aware of the intense scrutiny Thomas was giving him, almost as if he were reading him as easily as if he were a Truth Seeker. And it became obvious in that moment of clarity that Thomas was simply voicing what he himself had gone through when he had taken over the LE Ministry. Thomas nodded at the subtle expression changes crossing Severus' face.

"I know that at first it feels more like a loss of control rather than an attempt to gain it, but that will change when you truly take charge of the game," Thomas said quietly. "Even if chess is a simplistic metaphor, the rules still apply. The king should only be moved for its own defense, to get out of the way of the other pieces so that they can do their jobs, or to act… but only as a last resort. And although I can't really say what needs to happen in your school for you to fix your current position… others can surely do that better that I… I can tell you with certainty that it does need to change. You are entering a different chapter in your life, Severus, one that means leading from the back row. Don't take that to mean that you're not going to play an active part in life. If you think that, you'll end up in a second trip into a midlife and I for one do not want to go through that again. I'm still active, regardless of playing the king. Dumbledore was active when he was Headmaster, as you know very well. So is that half-baked mentor of yours, wherever the hell he's got off to this time. I think your main advantage to switching gears is just how well you know your pieces… in fact, you probably know yours better than I know mine," he admitted with a grunt.

"Of course, there will come different types of challenges once you finally earn the sort of control you're after, Severus. True, there will always be adversaries such as Bagman, who is not about to move his pieces off anytime soon, but that's hardly what I mean. Everyone who helped get you to this new level of power is likely to show up, ready to collect on all those old favors and unpaid debts you owe them. As long as you remember that you are the one controlling the game, you should be able to handle it. There, I'm done with my monologue, because I damn well can't teach you about how to accomplish that task since you're not a minister or a department head. But take my advice and find someone else to talk to about this who does know how to play your school's version of chess."

"I know who to go to," Severus said distantly. Thomas nodded at that, satisfied that he got his message across.

"Bah, it's one of those dratted Coventry boys," Thomas grumbled in annoyance when he turned his attention back to the preliminaries. Severus glanced up himself, focusing in as Donald stepped up to the target.

Bringing his wand up in front of his face and down in a precise movement, Donald stood quite still as he studied the target. Like a snake, he whipped his wand around and struck, coming close to the center but a bit low. Still, from the numbers on the chalkboard it was higher than any of the other Slytherin so far.

"Didn't have his arm quite parallel," Thomas observed.

His second pass was almost precisely in the same spot, but by the third, Donald's frustration caused him to overcompensate. The third attempt was too high and farther away from the center than the other two. Even so, he was at the top of the Slytherin contenders. Thomas snorted softly.

"Maurice won't have any trouble beating that," Thomas said, counting how many Slytherin was after Maurice so that he could get an estimate of how many scores he'd have to watch to make certain he made it to the next round.

But then Thomas noticed how intensely Severus was watching and focused back in as Michael Coventry of Hufflepuff stepped up to the target. He seemed much more relaxed than his brother in the shoulders, and Thomas knew that alone might make the difference between his and his brother's performance.

It was in the instant that Mike came to life and his spell pierced the target straight in the center that Thomas blinked, for there really was no comparison between them at all. The second attempt, although not as precise as the first, was still quite impressive, and the third wand strike hit dead on.

"Ah, so Maurice does have some competition after all, at least in the finals," Thomas decided, noting Mike's colors.

"Michael has no choice but to be competitive, and it has forced him to excel in recent years," Severus said somberly.

Thomas became thoughtful at that, gazing at his son and at the point margin, mentally comparing Maurice's motivations against Mike's. Coming to the conclusion that Mike had more to lose, he was not surprised at all when Maurice received a score that put him well above Donald's, but just shy of what Mike's had been. The pained expression when Maurice joined his mates was quite noticeable. Despite the fact that Maurice was probably going to get the best score for Slytherin, the fact that anyone was able to best him at any sort of wand test ate at his perfectionist nature.

In fact, it irked Maurice so much that he really didn't want to stay, only waiting long enough for Gamban's score to put him in third place.

"Do you suppose I'm going to be able to keep that?" Garvan asked worriedly.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about considering who's left, but let me know if it changes. I think I'm going to go to the lake to see how the underwater obstacle prelims are going," Maurice said.

"Really?" Gamban frowned, looking at the handful of Slytherin still waiting to take their turn. "I think I'll stay here just in case. I'll catch up with you when we're done."

"All right," Maurice said, gesturing to his father and pointing towards the lake. Thomas simply nodded in response and Maurice slipped over to the gates. He paused to watch the brave souls who were practicing for the candle jumping competition, but after seeing the size of the candle and witnessing one of the Hufflepuffs hop away with the back of his shirt smoking, he was glad he didn't sign up for it. Flipping through a book of tickets, he was getting ready to walk to a small set of stands next to the boat docks when he saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. Looking around, he spied Noah hovering a few yards away, peering intently at what little he could see of the lake between the stands and the boathouse.

"Coming over to watch underwater prelims, Noah?" Maurice asked.

"Are you joking? I don't want to go anywhere near that lake, and I can't stand how many other people want to go over there," Noah said. Maurice was quite sure that the ghost would have been gritting his teeth if he had any.

"Maybe, but I notice you're over here and not watching any of the other events. There's no reason to be worried, you know. My nephew is over there helping, and there is no way that he or Bellamy would allow anyone to drown in that lake, you know."

"There are other dangers in water besides drowning, Leu understands that better than anyone," Noah snapped.

"True, but if it's troubling you, I say you should probably do the right thing and support your friend by going to the stands and keeping watch over things," Maurice suggested.

"Are you going over there?" Noah asked.

"Yes," Maurice replied.

"Then can you please keep an eye on him for me? I think I'm going to go take care of Shadow," Noah said.

Wondering how the ghost managed to give his mount water without going into a panic, Maurice shrugged and walked over to the stands, gazing speculatively at who was there until choosing a seat next to where Helena and Veronica sat with large magnifying glasses on their laps.

"Done already, Maurice? How did you do?" Helena asked.

"Fair, I suppose, although Mike did decidedly better," he admitted reluctantly.

"And Donald?" Veronica asked.

"Behind me. His numbers were closer to Garvan's, really, who is the third Slytherin at the moment. But what are the two of you doing over here if you're so interested?" Maurice asked.

"We have some Slytherin over here as well, you know. Both Meyers and Grey are doing really well," Helena said.

"We're also here to show support for Jessica and Diana, being Owls," Veronica explained. "Jessica didn't do so well. Diana hasn't gone in there yet."

"How can you tell how well they're doing from here?" Maurice asked.

"With these, of course. There's a crate of them over there by the ticket box," Ronnie said, showing him a magnifying glass.

When Maurice stared through it, he could suddenly see past the heads of the crowds and the reflection off the dark water, viewing the underwater course as plain as if he were looking at it from below. Just then, he caught sight of someone… Grimsby from Ravenclaw, he decided, who was trying to swim by what looked like a giant waterwheel that stirred up the water and created a rather nasty current. Somehow he managed to slide underneath, only to find himself facing a small but complex wooden maze filled with holes. The boy struggled to find the right pattern to get through, but finally made it out and into a forest of seaweed. It was there that Maurice saw Leu, who was hovering in a wetsuit and watching to make certain that no one became dangerously tangled. He also seemed to be monitoring the water for debris that didn't belong on the course, snatching them up as soon as he noticed them and into a floating satchel he had wrapped securely under his arm.

"Ronnie, go get another one," Helena nudged. With a sigh, Veronica went down for a replacement. Maurice didn't even notice the exchange. He was too drawn in by what was going on and the fact that the next person in the water was someone he knew… or at least, knew about.

After all, Diana Kitane was not known for warming up to people; even after joining the Owls she was reserved and hardly ever spoke. Her face was often expressionless with no insight into what she was thinking, although Maurice did notice a strange dark spark to her gaze when she didn't particularly care for someone. In comparison, even Leu's serious nature seemed more natural, and he was very much in touch with his emotions, sometimes with a rather dramatic effect, Maurice realized, smirking softly when he remembered Leu's first night in the Great Hall. But all of that was over, of course, and he was slowly adjusting. Diana was not; and the more that Maurice thought about it, the more he began to wonder if it was because she simply didn't want to rather than not being capable of it.

Diana's name was called, so she put on her cap and slipped into the water near Leu. Maurice heard loud clapping and looked over to see Helena's father sitting with a heavyset witch with dark brown hair that seemed to curl in every which way, as well as witch with short silvery hair and a tasteful yet conservative dress.

"What do you suppose your father is doing here? I thought you didn't have any tryouts today," Maurice asked. Helena looked over curiously, leaning forward to see them.

"Oh, that one on the left is one of the undersecretaries from the Family Services department of the Ministry," Helena said, referring to the silver-haired witch. "I suppose the other one is probably Diane's foster mother." Maurice gazed thoughtfully at the woman then heard the bell that signaled that the timer was about to start. Ronnie hopped into place with her magnifying glass and held it out to Helena. Maurice turned his attention to the lake, noticing Diana and Leu bobbing near what looked to be a brightly painted wooden hurdle.

An obnoxiously loud gong sounded and Diana took off, pushing off hard. At first she swam more like a fish than a girl, trying to stay as straight as possible for as long as she could before finally having to move her arms forward to propel her through the first obstacle; a forest of gigantic cattails. It was then that she had to force herself into a stronger swim, for after coming out of the reeds she crossed through waters so turbulent that tiny eddies appeared on the surface of the water, betraying just how strong and unpredictable the currents were below. But after struggling with it for a second or two, she was somehow able to find the dead spots that allowed her to swim past it, and even succeeded in using the last line of eddies to propel her towards a maze that reminded Maurice of a block of swiss cheese. It had many holes in different heights throughout the maze, forcing Diana to dart in and out of them to find a path, managing to traverse the obstacle with relative ease. In fact, Maurice had to admit to himself that there was no way he could have done that himself without a great deal more time to study it, and that would have undoubtedly slowed him through that part of the course. Diana managed to come through it in less than a minute, and straight into a series of long poles that the swimmer had to wiggle through.

"If she makes it through this without scratching, it'll be the best time yet," Ronnie said quietly.

"Scratching?" Maurice asked.

"There's a time penalty calculated at the end for every time the swimmer touches or brushes up against any of the obstacles," Helena explained. "But she's doing so well, I really don't think she has much to worry about unless she takes this last obstacle down with her," Helena said, holding her breath when she saw Diana barely inch by one of the tightest squeezes between two of the horizontal poles, having to carefully time her kicking so neither foot accidentally hit them on the way through.

Finally the entire audience seemed to exhale at once and Maurice heard the gong again, belatedly covering his ears and then removing them quickly when the spectators began to applaud appreciatively. But none of them were as impressed as Llewellyn, eagerly waiting to help her out onto the platform, looking at her as if he'd never seen a girl before.

"That was amazing, Diana! You were almost as fast as I was when I went through it!" Leu said excitedly, holding out her robe. Diana reached her arm out to take it, but then squinted.

"Almost?" she echoed, frowning at him.

"Well, my first time through, anyway. Of course, that was my slowest time, but I'm sure you'll get faster too! You must have gotten through it the same way I did by sensing the currents instead of trying to do it by sight. Am I right?" Leu asked enthusiastically.

"I don't see your time on the board," Diana answered flatly.

"Oh, we just timed it while we were testing it, of course. I'm not competing because it wouldn't be fair, you see. But I bet you'll get a medal for sure!" Leu said sincerely. Glaring at him icily, Diana threw on her robe and stormed off in the direction of the housemates. Leu watched her with a frown, while next to him, Jimmy Minster laughed as he got ready to go into the water.

"You're a real charmer, aren't you?" he said, sitting on the platform.

"What did I say?" Leu said curiously. But Minster had already grabbed a piece of Gillyweed and hopped in, so Leu had no choice but to take his position.

After Diana's stunning performance, Minster's run was nothing short of torture to watch. He managed to get through the cattails all right, but was flung around with the eddies so badly that he was left spinning for awhile until finally he lost control completely and was smacked up against the maze. Peeling himself off, he managed to recover and get through the maze, but painfully slow, and then kept brushing against the poles at the end, succeeding in coming out bruised and looking battered and exhausted. On the board, however, Maurice noted that his time was close to all the other students who had tried it except for Diana.

"I can't watch any more. It's too painful," Maurice decided.

"Then you'd better brace yourself, Maurice, because the fun has just begun," Helena said with a dry chuckle.


	14. Competitive Natures

Fourteen

Competitive Natures

Getting back into a routine that following Monday was so difficult that Severus found himself wondering how poorly both the students and the staff would perform. In fact, he began to regret his decision of going along with the scheme. It was only after his third cup of coffee that he finally wandered into the study, glancing at the top sheet on his desk, which displayed Hermione's galleon estimates for that first weekend.

Severus sat down in stunned silence. Of course, these were the numbers before expenses, he firmly reminded himself, then glanced over several of the other sheets and jotted down some numbers only to stare at the total he had come up with. Perhaps it was worth the pain, he reluctantly admitted, leaving his desk long enough to take Quintin downstairs. After all, if that was how many galleons they had banked after just one weekend, the end total would be more than enough to fund any number of improvements to the school for several years to come. Moreover, if they were careful not to get so far behind in funding again, there would never be a reason to do anything of this scale more than once.

Even the passing thought of repeating the experience brought a grimace to his face… especially after he unwisely peered into a hospital wing packed with students either complaining of aches and bruises from trying out that weekend or from strain or sprains acquired that very morning before classes. Making a note to insist that Bellamy have less strenuous workouts and practices on school days, Severus reluctantly returned to his office for a full day's work.

Jennifer had her own challenges thanks to the games. Even though most of her students did their homework, it was quite obvious that they all skimmed through their reading, forcing her to backtrack over several simple points that they should have known before they even started their labs. On top of that, Ginny's list of needed balms would have been daunting under normal circumstances; but with her tight security schedule, she found that she often had to brew potions during all of her less strenuous classes. That in turn had led to a rather disagreeable comment by Severus during her Items class about how one of the potions she had bubbling behind her should never be left unattended. She immediately found herself ordering him to take care of them since, as she heatedly pointed out, he seemed more interested in the potions than what she was trying to teach.

Obediently and without comment, Severus went to the back of the room to mind the potions, leaving Jennifer flustered and instantly regretting her outburst as she tried to turn her attention back to her other students and their items projects. He even stayed well into her sixth year Potions until she finally grew impatient and dismissed him. Several of the students gasped in surprise when she told him he could go, but the Headmaster simply sneered at her and left, leaving her flustered again.

Severus frowned when he noted the time, realizing that she had put up with him longer than he had thought she would have. The door to the Headmaster's Study was open, so he wasn't too surprised to see that Minerva was already comfortably seated with a cup of tea in hand, apparently unconcerned about waiting.

"Sorry that I was detained, Minerva. I had a detention to finish," Severus explained as he stepped inside and closed the doors.

"Charles Willowby?" Minerva guessed curiously.

"My own detention, actually. Sandwiches?" Severus offered.

"I hope you don't expect me to let you get out of explaining that," Minerva admonished him, pretending the plate of sandwiches wasn't there.

"Jennifer and I are sitting in each other's classes to brush up on each other's specialties, so I'm taking precautionary measures to prepare for what will inevitably happen when Jennifer pushes her luck too far in my classroom. Biscuit?" he offered, but Minerva was too busy laughing to answer, helping herself to one of the sandwiches. "I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to see you today."

"Either way, I'm already finding the visit entertaining," Minerva said, but grew curious again when he sat down in the chair next to her rather than at the desk. "Is this a personal call?" she asked, noticing the gesture at once.

"Partly. Really, it's all the same thing anymore," Severus admitted in resignation but then quickly waved off her attempt to question it. "Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about was something I recalled the other day… something that happened just before Dumbledore left for his 'afternoon tea' with Merlin."

"The year Jennifer was Obliviated," Minerva murmured. "That was such a nightmare."

"Very much so, although that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about. It was something Dumbledore said just before he left… he told me to have you teach me how to play chess. At the time, I replied that I knew how to play, but now I'm not so certain that is what he meant," Severus admitted.

"Oh?" Minerva said, sipping her tea with a thin smile. "Might I ask why you believe so now when you obviously didn't then? And what made you think of it?"

"It has to do with something Thomas Craw said to me, believe it or not. He used chess as a metaphorical example to convince me that I'm going to have to delegate more if I want to gain better control over the mayhem going on in the school. A very common metaphor, really, and yet I found myself wondering about that suggestion all those years ago," Severus explained. "Any system that would help me keep track of everything going on would be a blessing at this point."

"And if it were a simple remark, Severus?" Minerva asked. Severus mulled it over thoughtfully.

"Then I would at least be tempted to ask you what you would do in my current situation," Severus said at last.

"Learn how to play chess, I suppose," Minerva said with a wry smile. "Why don't you bring out Dumbledore's old chessboard from wherever you have it collecting dust at and I'll show you some of its secrets?" she suggested.

"Some? Not all?" Severus asked, squinting suspiciously.

"No, the rest are for your Deputy Headmaster to know," Minerva said, the smile never leaving her face. Instantly intrigued, Severus began unlocking cabinets to find it.

* * *

><p>Leu and Noah hurried out of Charms as vexed as the rest of their classmates, hurrying towards the main stairwell.<p>

"I can't believe she kept the entire class over to finish our homework just because some students didn't get it done over the weekend," Noah exclaimed with irritation.

"You were the only one who had it done, Noah," Leu sighed. "Even I missed some of the reading. Let's face it, she had good reason to make sure we had tomorrow's work was done, but that does mean we're running quite late."

"Still, you should probably get something to eat, you know," Noah pointed out.

"I'll grab something off the student table. Besides, I still need to change and get my boots before we go down to the pitch," Leu explained.

"I think you're crazy wanting to try out for Wizard Hurling," Noah said. "You're going to break your neck."

"Would you rather I have done the underwater obstacle course instead?" Leu challenged him as they walked to their room. Copper croaked a cheerful greeting.

"No, of course not, that's dangerous too. Surely not all the sports are dangerous… how about competing in Wizard Chess or something?" Noah suggested as Leu grabbed his equipment and put Copper in his coat pocket.

"You sure do worry a lot for a ghost. First Myrtle, now me…"

"Who says I'm worried about Myrtle?" Noah asked defensively, following him back out of the room.

"Well, you have been thinking a lot of her lately…"

"She's my girlfriend. I'm supposed to think a lot of her. Besides, you're one to talk as much time as you've been spending around girls lately…" Noah began and then stopped short when they saw a girl standing at the bottom of the stairs as if waiting for someone. When she stepped over to them, it became obvious that she had been waiting for Leu. Noah let out a sound of pure exasperation.

"Oh, hello, Diana. We're in a bit of a hurry… do you want to walk to the pitch with us?" Leu asked.

"No. I want you to compete in the obstacle course," Diana said seriously.

"I can't now, Diana. Prelims are over, even if I had chose not to act as assistant. Besides, I'd rather do this," Leu explained, managing to get by her so he could start down the hall. Diana followed close behind.

"Then you'll compete in the water sprint," Diana said firmly.

"That isn't until spring, Diana, and I'll probably sign up for assistant then as well. Besides, it wouldn't be fair…"

"You're wrong! You're not better than anyone else! I am better than you! How dare you insult me by not letting me prove it!" she shouted so furiously that Leu stumbled back to get away from her. Copper tried to wriggle out of his pocket so she could croak a challenge.

"Now you've done it. You've gotten Copper all worked up," Noah complained. "You had better leave us alone before she comes at you and gets frog slime in your hair… or worse, before I'm tempted to come into your room when you're asleep tonight and scare the living daylights out of you!"

"I'm not afraid of either of you," Diana said evenly. "And I will settle you for insulting me. Soon," she added darkly, then turned and walked away.

"She may not be afraid of us, but she scares the death out of me," Noah admitted. "Granted, all girls are weird, but she pushes the limit. I'm not sure if she could even be considered human… but definitely a girl."

"Do you know, I'm starting to think that you're afraid of girls in general," Leu teased.

"And with good reason!" Noah agreed as they hurried outside. "Even Myrtle has her scary moments, especially when she's trying to get romantic on me. Why can't girls seem to enjoy being in a relationship without unreasonable demands and commitments that a bloke doesn't have a prayer in ever keeping?"

"Not all girls are like that," Leu protested.

"Sure, you say that now. Wait until you're my age and you'll change your mind," Noah said. Leu blinked.

"If I waited that long, there wouldn't be many girls my age left to see," Leu said. "Ah, there's the Hurling area on the other side of the field by those flags. Thank goodness they haven't started yet!" He hurried over to where a group of brave Ravenclaws were standing as a seventh year instructed some of them on how to use the equipment. Leu immediately found a seat nearby and pulled off his shoes, eager to put on his new Springoline boots.

"I still think this is a mistake," Noah said, taking a seat in the stands behind him. "You'll be in the hospital wing before the hour is over."

"Only if the students trying out for the Chaser Ball teams get too close," Leu said, glancing up after several brooms raced to the Quidditch rings overhead.

"Don't worry, they've been told to stay near the other set of rings when we start practicing over here," said Colby. Suddenly he ducked, and instinctively Leu did the same just as Kim zoomed close to their heads, landing nearby. Her face was dusty and she seemed a bit out of breath, struggling to get her gloves off.

"Don't tell me you're trying out for this team too!" Colby scowled at her.

"None of the team sports are playing at the same time as any of the others. I checked," Kim explained, pulling off her goggles and reaching under one of the seats for her boots. "They figure they can maximize time on the field and the pitch that way, and it left me free to try out for all of them. Don't worry, I got permission first," Kim assured them.

"Just don't let your marks drop trying to keep up with it," warned Cobb Matchison, one of the seventh years.

"I can handle it," Kim said, standing up to test her boots, which bounced a bit. "Ever worn these before, Murphy?"

"Just long enough to try them on to make sure they fit," Leu admitted.

"Stand up and gently try to press your heals to the ground if you want to bounce. If you want to stop or stay on the ground, try to walk on your toes. It feels a bit like walking on high heels at first until you get used to them…"  
>"He wouldn't know that!" Noah protested.<p>

"Oh, right, I guess not," Kim grinned, helping him up. Leu did as he was told and felt his heels start to bounce as if they were on a rubber surface, practicing a bit as Kim walked around with him, his boots threatening to propel him upwards at random intervals.

"Hang on, don't take off without your knee and neck protection," Cobb protested, handing them something that looked like a fairly ordinary set of knee pads along with what appeared to be an attachable collar that was so high that Leu could feel it against the back of his head. Fortunately, it tapered off near the front where it attached to his bronze jumpsuit.

"You resemble an evil overlord out of a bad fairytale," Noah snickered. "You look quite silly."

"You would look silly trying to wear anything," Leu retorted.

"All right, Cobb, he's suited up and he's figured out how to walk now," Kim reported.

"Thanks, see if you can help that one, then," Cobb said. He gestured towards Colby, who was flat on his face with his legs bent and his boots over his head to keep them from doing anything.

"Right," Kim agreed.

The moment Kim let go of his arm, Leu took one single timid step and found himself soaring into the sky, blinking as he looked through the middle Quidditch ring before coming back down again. At first it was disorienting, but it was the moment or two of weightlessness that he experienced when force caught up with gravity that was somehow fascinating, and it was in those few seconds that the players were expected to move the Bludger down the pitch.

Excitedly, he arched his foot and came down on his toes, taking only a moment to inspect the magical suction-cup stoppers on the toes of his shoes before running back over to the stands for his hurley. Even before most of the other first timers managed to successfully get off the ground (let alone learn how to land) Leu was up in the air trying to get used to how it felt swinging in mid-air, trying to time it in the few seconds of airtime he had. Sometimes he swung too early or too late, making it look like he was chopping in air rather than swinging.

It took much longer to get everyone else up, but finally everyone was jumping with ease, some of the bolder ones doing somersaults in air while they waited for Cobb to trigger a single Bludger that came zooming out. Near-air collisions and the danger of being hit by the other hurleys as they swung for it turned the practice into complete chaos, forcing several of the players to try and control their heights to keep themselves from becoming caught up in the mess.

"Are we even going to have a working team by the time it starts?" Leu asked out loud to no one in particular, laughing at the hilarity of it all before bouncing back into the fray to give the Bludger another whack. Despite the chaos, he was quite pleased when he found out he made the team after practice was over. So was Copper, it seemed, croaking happily when he took her out of his pocket.

* * *

><p>As Noah was watching from the stands, he felt a tingling up his arm and turned to see Myrtle hanging on it with a mischievous smile on her face.<p>

"Oh, there you are, Myrtle. Where have you been hiding at?" Noah asked, taking her hand.

"Thinking… in the cistern," she explained.

"What were you doing all the way down there?" he asked curiously.

"I was being depressed," she explained. Noah frowned. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes."

"Then come walk with me after the mortals go to bed," she said enticingly.

"But there's a curfew! I might get into trouble…"

"Oh, don't be silly! You're a ghost, not a mortal. You don't have to live by their rules!" Myrtle said with exasperation.

"I promised Professor Snape and Professor Ravenclaw that I would behave like a normal student…"

"That doesn't mean you have to behave like a mortal! You're just using that excuse to get out of walking with me, aren't you?" Myrtle challenged him.

"Of course I'm not, Myrtle, you know how I feel about you," Noah said irritably.

"How would I when you never show it?" Myrtle asked dangerously, despite the fact he still had a hand on hers.

"We're ghosts, Myrtle, our affection isn't the same as theirs," Noah reminded her.

"Is that why you don't want to kiss me?" Myrtle pressed.

"I'm just not ready," Noah said firmly, but noticed that Myrtle's expression had changed and was on the verge of another melt down. "Now, don't start that. I'll go walking with you tonight, Myrtle… as long as you promise to stay away from the bathrooms and such," he compromised.

"Of course! I always do that when I'm walking with you," she tsked. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you, at least farther than I'd trust any other girl," Noah said, and she laughed at that.

"I'd better get ready then. It's only twelve hours away," she said excitedly and faded away.

Leu came over a few minutes later, carrying all of his gear in a lumpy sports bag with a cord.

"Where'd you get that?" Noah asked. "Looks handy."

"From the Mungo's booth, and it is handy. It's bigger on the inside and handles some of the weight, too," Leu said. "Were there any other events you had tickets for today?"

"Just the Mace Throwing prelims. You?"

"Football. I promised Uncle Maurice I'd sit with him. Practically all of the Owls and all three of the Willowbys will be over there," Leu said.

"Well, when you get back to the rooms, I don't suppose you could cover for me if I'm not there? I promised Myrtle I'd go walking with her tonight," Noah explained.

"Sure, although it's funny to hear you call it walking," Leu admitted. "Are you going to try to cheer her up?"

"What makes you think she needs cheering up?" Noah asked.

"Because that's normally when you're willing to bend the school rules to appease her," Leu observed.

"Oh, shut up. I'll see you when I get back, or in the morning if you're asleep when I get in," Noah said.

"All right, have fun," Leu said, walking out of the Quidditch area and towards the field. It was as he was nearing the stands on the far side that Diana stepped down and stood by the bottom of them with that same unreadable expression that she always had on her face. "Hullo, Diana. Not trying out, I take it? Have you seen my Uncle Maurice?"

"Meet me at the lake after dinner tonight," Diana said.

"We're not allowed out of the castle during the weekdays unless an event is going on, Diana, you know that," Leu said. "And there's normally a watch at the door."

"I will be waiting at the docks," Diana said seriously. She walked away, apparently no longer interested in staying. Leu stared after her with a frown.

"Llewellyn?" Leu glanced around to see Cain standing there. "Over this way."

"Oh… thanks," Leu said, and followed him over to where Maurice, Max, Cain and Garvan were sitting at the very edge of a section made up mostly of Slytherin.

"There you are. I hear your tryouts went well," Maurice said, gesturing to the seat next to him.

"Great, thanks. It was even more fun than I thought it'd be," Leu said, glancing out at the field. "Not many Slytherin trying out, are there?"

"Most of the Slytherin who are already on the team are over at Mace Throwing," Max explained. "Coventry and Meyers are close in points now for the Hexathlon, although Grey is making a pretty decent showing considering he's a first year."

"True, and Mace Throwing isn't as boring to watch," Garvan added.

"You could have gone over there," Cain reminded him.

"I'm here as a show of support for my order," Garvan explained.

"No, he's not. He's here because he fancies…" Max was quickly cut off as Garvan put a hand over his mouth.

"Starling, it's obvious that Garvan doesn't want anyone to know about that, and Slytherin keeps its secrets. Now, why don't you run along to the Mace Throwing prelims and make sure our prefects don't need anything and get me a report on how it's going," Maurice said.

"Fine. I'll need a ticket, though," Max said, and Maurice got a booklet and tore one out, handing it to him, along with a few coins.

"Sure you trust him with your money?" Cain asked, getting settled.

"He'd be a fool to use it for anything other than prefect's errands. He knows it'll come back to haunt him," Maurice said unconcernedly, watching the field. "Speaking of haunts, where's Nolan?"

"Over at Mace Throwing, I think," Leu said.

"Well, when you see him again, let him know that I need to speak with him when it's convenient. It's concerning my investigations about the gargoyles," he explained.

"Really? I don't think he knows anything about that. At least, nothing that he's told me about," Leu said.

"Well, he may know more than what he's told you, or perhaps he knows someone else who does," Maurice said. "You see, the one thing I know for certain about the gargoyles moving is that it always seems to happen at night… which means, the only ones who may have seen anything are the ghosts or the paintings… and I have a hard time believe that _neither _of them saw anything. I mean, how many places are there in the castle that neither of them go? Not many, and the gargoyle changes are almost always in known doorways and passages, except perhaps the one in the new passage. So, if you can arrange for him to meet me in the library or something after dinner, that would suffice."

"I think he has plans tonight, but I can ask him to stop by the library at lunch tomorrow," Leu suggested.

"That can be arranged," Maurice agreed, turning his attention to the field. As usual, Kim was dominating the field, just as she did in any sport she tried out at. Hope seemed to be a close second, her energy pulling her constantly forward, while Natalie seemed most at home in the keeper position. Charles seemed to be hanging mostly on the sides, only moving in when those trying to move the ball forward needed some opposition, so sharp and attentive that for the first time since he had started Hogwarts he seemed uncommonly mature for his age.

"I think it's safe to say that Gryffindor will be adding another Willowby to their roster," Maurice observed. "Pimra and Kim will be hard pressed this year to stay on top."

"You don't think Slytherin has a chance?" Cain asked with a frown.

"Well, it is hard to say, considering that most of our team and half of Hufflepuff are over at the other event, but I am concerned that the rivalry between those two teams may hold them back a bit," Maurice mused. "Then again, that situation could change. Michael Coventry has been considering withdrawing from the team. He wants to go the Hexathlon and he needs top marks if he wants to be an Auror, so he feels like he doesn't have time to commit to anything else. If he does leave, that would change the dynamic."

"At the very least, it'd cut down on the number of penalties we get this year," Garvan said. "Do you think Donald will drop when he's heard that Michael has?"

"Doubtful," Maurice decided, glancing at where Helena was busy trying to direct what few Slytherin was out on the field on what they were supposed to be doing. "I think I had better start on my homework now that I'm certain that my nieces and nephews are going to make the team. I have tests in Ancient Magic and Transfiguration tomorrow."

"I have tests tomorrow too," Leu agreed, remembering Professor Weasley's threat of what she would do if they came in unprepared again. If that had happened in Potion's class, he really would have been trouble, he thought ominously as he walked upstairs.

The houserooms were practically vacant, so Leu decided to take advantage of the quiet and bury his nose in his books for a while. He didn't even remember dozing off.

It was Copper's croak that finally woke him up. He looked around, still half-asleep, fully intending to simply change and go to bed. But Copper's croak was so insistent that he stared at her for a while, trying to focus in on her.

"Have I forgotten something?" Leu finally asked, giving up on the idea of trying to figure it out on his own. Copper jumped up on the windowsill and croaked. "Outside? Wait, you mean that meeting with Diana. I wasn't planning to go, and besides, it is getting late, so she's probably…" he paused, thinking about it. Perhaps a typical girl would have left by now, but would Diana have left? For some reason, Leu doubted it. It was Diana's strong determination that stood out over her lack of other skills, and Leu could imagine her waiting all night, probably until Bellamy took his jog the next morning.

"You're right. We ought to go long enough to make sure she went back into her room. Surely she can't have been serious about trying to run that thing at night, it'd be much too dangerous, and too cold," Leu said, getting his jacket.

Copper immediately followed, croaking several times in protest until Leu finally picked her up and put her in his jacket pocket. He followed the secret passages… at least as far as he knew them. But he didn't know any around the entrance near the lake, so he decided to slip outside as soon as he could and stay in the shadows rather than run the risk of being caught in the halls after hours. Fortunately, there was a passage that led close to the Quidditch Pitch, and that gate appeared to still be unlocked. A bit nervous that that might mean there was a professor patrolling the grounds, Leu immediately skirted the area and made his way over to the water.

A muffled ribbit was enough to get Leu to slow his pace, and he carefully crept up until he saw the girl standing near the docks in the dark. Standing next to her and looking rather cold was Winifred Brim. She seemed quite surprised to see him.

"What are you doing here?" Winnie demanded.

"I was worried about Diana, actually. Oughtn't you be in bed? We have tests tomorrow," Leu reminded her.

"After we race," Diana said evenly.

"She's quite set on it, isn't she? I've been trying to talk her into going inside for well over an hour," Winnie explained.

"It isn't safe trying to run the obstacle at night, Diana. Doctor Sagittari lets the Kraken out at night to feed, and the Headmaster warned me that a lot of dark creatures hunt near or in the water at night when they don't run the risk of running into as many wizards."

"They are afraid of us. I'm not afraid of them," Diana said, taking off her coat to reveal that she was in her diving suit. "Winnie can keep the time."

"All right, but I really think you're taking this too far," Winnie said, reluctantly taking the watch from her and fiddling with it to make sure she understood how it worked.

"I don't suppose an apology would be enough? Even though I'm not quite sure what I need to apologize for…"

"Do you always try to apologize for something without understanding why?" Diana asked evenly.

"Just explain to me why you want to do this," Leu said with a sigh.

"Because I'm better than you," Diana said bluntly. "You will go first, then I will show you how wrong you are to assume you are the best without even giving others the opportunity to challenge it!"

"Fine, I never thought about it that way," Lleuwellyn admitted. "But if I agree to this, do you want to study together sometime?"

"Don't be stupid!" Diana snapped, and sat on the edge of the dock as if she were about to slip into the water.

"No, wait! Before you do that, I'd better make sure the course is clear. It's pretty routine for me to check for debris and things like that before any timed round, you know…"

"You are just trying to give yourself an advantage!" Diana accused him.

"No, really… at least let me go first, Diana, then I can be sure to go over the course," Leu insisted.

"Maybe you ought to let him, Diana," Winnie said. "The course hasn't been used in two days, and Bellamy's trained Leu on what debris needs to be kept off the course. Besides, it'll give you a clear time to beat."

"There will be no excuses as to why you lost!" Diana said suspiciously.

"I promise that I won't make any excuses when you beat me," Leu said. Leu made use of the boathouse to put on his diving suit, and then stepped out and dropped straight down into the water, bobbing up and down near the boathouse.

"Be careful, Leu," Winnie said. Leu nodded solemnly at that. "Are you ready?"

"I'm going to need to cast a light spell on myself, because my diving light is at home," Leu explained, getting it out of his jacket. Copper croaked curiously and came out on the dock to watch.

"No cheating!" Diana warned.

"No, of course not," Leu said with a sigh, casting the spell that made him and the area around him glow. He then put it back in his jacket. "All right, I'm ready."

"On your mark," Winnie said, holding up the watch.

Leu forced himself to focus, diving just as Winnie called time. Even with the light, it was difficult to see where the reeds were in the water, and he ended up bumping into several on his way past and then bracing himself for the currents that lay between the reeds and the maze. He knew the course enough to know he would have to give in to those currents a little or he would be forced to spend a lot of his energy and speed trying to pull away from them. Carefully he worked his way through to one of the milder currents, knowing that it would carry him close enough to the maze that just a couple of strong kicks would be enough to get him the rest of the way. But as he began to kick, something unexpectedly got caught around his foot.

Twisting around, Leu couldn't see anything but darkness above him. Something was moving… the same thing that was around his foot… a wave of panic hit him and he began kicking and clawing at what seemed to be a rope, succeeding only in getting his arms and torso tangled as well. He struggled to cry out but couldn't underwater, so when it began wrapping around his head, he realized just how much trouble he was in.

On the docks, Winnie stared at the stopwatch, frowning at the time.

"This is a bit slow for Leu. I wonder if he's having trouble getting through the obstacles in the poor light?" Winnie asked, frowning when she didn't see any moonlight reflected in the water at all. Copper croaked worriedly and jumped in the water, swimming out of view. "I had better get one of the magnifying glasses."

"You are keeping time," Diana complained.

"Then you'll have to take over for me, because I'm going to the boat house to get a glass so I can make certain that nothing is wrong," Winnie said before running inside. As she searched for the box, she heard a loud wail and nearly fell over in surprise, her heart racing.

"Horrible gawker!" shrieked a voice.

"Calm down, Myrtle! She can't see us, so she can't be here to gawk. What are you doing out here, Winnie?" Noah's voice asked.

"It's Leu. I think he's in trouble," Winnie explained quickly, grabbing a magnifying glass. "He went to do the obstacle course and isn't back yet," she explained, then rushed back outside.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Myrtle demanded.

"To help Leu, of course," Noah's voice said.

"But he's in the lake!" Myrtle protested, but Noah had already left. He floated over the lake, using his sense of Leu's presence to pinpoint where he was. But as he closed in on where he thought Leu might be, he noticed a massive clump of weeds floating on the surface and dove in a panic.

At the edge of the docks, Winnie let out a cry of alarm.

"What now?" Diana asked impatiently.

"It's Fishertrap! A water type of Devil's Snare! It's covering the back half of the course!" Winnie said. Diana frowned and dove into the water, while Winnie, left with few other options, sent up a flare.

Noah summoned his wand and willing himself deeper, the wand reaching his hand just as he arrived at the center of the plant's mass. Calling up a light, he spotted a wrapped figure that could have only been Leu and pushed forward, the terror of losing his friend washing away any lingering fears he had of the water itself.

"_Lumos solem!"_ he intoned, piercing the Fishertrap with a thin ray of sunlight that caused parts of it to shrink back. It didn't let go of Leu completely, but enough of the vines had shrunk back that Noah could get near him. He tugged at the weeds around Leu's face to find that Copper had somehow managed to get to him, her body wedged next to his head and keeping the vines from completely covering his face. "Let go of my friend!" Noah shouted angrily, attacking the vines with sunlight again. The plant made a swipe at the nuisance tickling its undersides, but the vines went right through Noah, who was refusing to give up on his attempts at freeing Leu.

_"Lumos solem!" _echoed a strange voice behind Noah, and the vines shrank back further. Noah glanced at Diana briefly before the two of them began to work together, and their combined efforts were enough to finally pull Leu free, quickly swimming away from the confused Fishertrap before it could make another grab at them.

"He's still unconscious! Let's get him to shore!" Noah said. Diana nodded in understanding; grabbing an arm and pulling Leu up with ease as the currents of the lake helped to push them onto the bank. Noah then listened to Leu's shallow breathing with deep concern and put his hands on his chest, a curious glowing mist covering Leu's midsection. Within seconds, Leu let out a gasp and coughed, his breathing returning to normal. Diana put a hand on him as well, feeling his breathing and his chest.

"He will be all right, but he may have cracked ribs," Diana said solemnly.

"He won't be all right when I am through with him! You are a total and complete idiot! How stupid can you be going out there at this time of night! I know you've been warned before about swimming in the lake after dark! What were you thinking?" Noah shouted at him angrily. Copper croaked in apparent agreement.

"It wasn't my idea," Leu murmured, wincing in pain.

"Then whose…" Noah stopped short, glancing over at Diana who was looking downwards. "Never mind, I get it. We need to get you to the hospital wing, but when you're feeling better, I am going to teach you how to say no to girls!"

"Thanks," Leu said quietly. Diana picked him up, ignoring the abashed look on Leu's face as she did so.

As they began to work their way around the lake, they heard voices calling out Leu's name. Diana shouted out a reply and then saw a bouncing light as Professor Craw ran over to them with Winnie just a step behind her. A look of pure relief washed over Craw's face when she saw that Leu was already out of the water.

"Leu! Are you all right?" Jennifer asked.

"No," Leu admitted.

"He almost drown in the lake," Noah said irritably.

"Nearly suffocated by Hydra Weed," Diana explained.

"Let's get him to the hospital wing. It's a good thing you got him out of there, Diana," Jennifer said.

"Noah saved him," Diana shrugged. "I just helped. So did Copper."

Copper croaked in agreement.

"Winnie, would you pick up Copper and then ask Sagittari to come to the castle? Come, Diana, let's get Leu settled, then I want a full explanation what all of you were doing out here this late at night," Jennifer snapped sternly.


	15. Making Allowances

Fifteen

Making Allowances

Severus awoke to an empty bed, bewildered until he remembered that Jennifer had one of the evening patrols. Evidently, something must have held her up. Pondering what a sleepless night was going to her test scores in his class, Severus peered in the nursery to make certain Quintin was asleep before continuing to the study. He paused in front of the chessboard, but after a moment he noticed that his appointment book was open and stepped over to read it.

"Coffee and pumpkin scones… no raisins, if you please. I don't think Zack particularly cares for them," Severus said. "Emergency status, Armando?"

"No emergencies at the moment, Severus, just a student incident that I'm sure that Professor Craw and Doctor Black will brief you on. I believe Leu is in the hospital wing," Armando warned.

"Oh?" Severus frowned, waving the doors open before the two of them had a chance to get to the top of the spiral stairs. "Up late, were we? Have some coffee."

"Thanks, but I think I'll skip it and crash in Dad's tent when we're done," Zack said, sinking into one of the offered seats with a sigh.

"So what have I been missing and how does it involve you?" Severus asked. Zack glanced at Jennifer.

"I'm afraid Llewellyn is in the hospital wing… he's all right now, or I would have gotten you sooner, but he did have a rather nasty run-in with a Fishertrap plant near the obstacle course," Jennifer explained.

"How did that get on the course?" Severus asked, squinting.

"I'm not sure yet, Severus, although it may have just floated in from the brook, since they're not entirely uncommon there," Jennifer conjectured. "I have Bellamy and Andrew going over the area, though, just in case."

"And exactly why was Llewellyn swimming in the lake at night in the first place?" Severus asked.

"Apparently Diana took offense to the fact that Leu chose to be an assistant rather than a competitor. She challenged him to a race since she considered him the only true adversary worth competing against," Jennifer explained. Severus rolled his eyes. "Leu wasn't going to agree to it, but he was worried that she would show up even if he didn't. When he couldn't talk her into going back to her room, he decided just to humor her and then he chose to go first because he was worried about the course and thought it would be safer if he went first. But Leu isn't quite as versed in freshwater nuisances as he is in saltwater ones, and ended up blundering right into the thing. Fortunately, Noah was able to find him and save him. Copper and Diana helped get him out as well…"

"Hm? One moment, I rather think I missed something. What did you say?" Severus asked, mystified.

"Noah jumped in the lake and cast the daylight spell to release him from the Fishertrap," Jennifer said. "Then when Diana helped him get up on shore, Noah did something to help recover… I'm not sure what, exactly, but because of it Leu came out of it with just a few cracked ribs and a bit of disorientation."

"And some stiff point deductions from his house advisor, I hope," Severus scowled.

"Yes, Severus, and detention for both of them considering Noah really shouldn't have been out there, either," Jennifer assured him. "Diana received the same, as well as Winnie, who had followed Diana out to the lake when she should have told someone instead. But it was really hard to give Noah detention, Severus, it's absolutely astounding that Noah was able to dive in the water like that!"

"I must admit I've never heard of a ghost with that sort of fear angst being able to put it on hold before," Severus mused, glancing over at Zack.

"I don't think he put it on hold, exactly," Zack said. "He was so concerned about Leu facing a similar fate as his own that he was willing to put his own fears aside to prevent it. And although it's extremely rare that a ghost is willing to do such a thing, it's not all that uncommon among humans to do something like it. In a way, it's like what you often do, Aunt Jennifer. I can't even list how many times you put your fear of being buried alive on hold to make sure someone else in the family didn't get caught in a similar situation." Jennifer nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't say that's all of it, though," Zack continued. "Some of it has to do with the fact that he's been treated like a normal student over the past year, and because of that, his habits have changed and he has changed. I'd go so far to say that what fears him most has changed as well… he seems to have come away from a general fear of water and yet has a greater fear of being alone or abandoned."

"But I thought a ghost's fears were usually tied to what happened at the time of their death, Zack," Jennifer said.

"Noah died when he fell into the lake and no one was able to find him quick enough to save him, Jennifer," Severus reminded her. "I'm sure in that moment he probably felt very alone and abandoned, and quite panicked that no one was coming to save him. Zack is correct; he's not acting as far out of his nature as it might seem, although it does impress me just how much he has changed since he became attached to Llewellyn."

"It's not anywhere near as impressive as the progress Ick has made since he met Aunt Jennifer, if you ask me," Zack said. "From what Dad told me, he was a total headache at the prison, forgiving of neither himself nor anyone else. He was so paranoid he had gotten to the point that he believed that everyone was put on this planet just to taunt him. Even accounting for the occasional evening where he's completely incoherent, his relative demeanor and comfort level with himself, staff, and students since he's come to Hogwarts is astounding… especially lately."

"It's true he has slowly improved over the years, but I doubt Ick's recent change has anything to do with his personal progression. The change in Noah is something else entirely," Severus decided. The silence when the three of them grew lost in thought. "Perhaps you had better get some rest, Zack," Severus said after a few minutes. "You as well, Jennifer, you do have a full schedule today."

"Don't remind me," Jennifer grumbled, getting up. "And what about Diana? I mean, normally I'd leave something like things up to Sally, of course, but under the circumstances…"

"It's high time I spoke with Sally about Diana's situation anyway. I'll take care of it, Jennifer, just don't forget you have a test today," Severus said.

"More than one, I should think. Good morning, Zack," Jennifer said and went to the back, completely missing the frown Severus had given her when she had missed his reference to his own class.

In fact, she had forgotten about the test until she entered the classroom; most of the other students in Ancient Magic had already cleared their desks of anything but a pencil, stowing everything else underneath their seats. Jennifer groaned, sliding into her seat beside Maurice. Well, at least she had managed to find time to get her written work done, she thought. Then she remembered he had said something about an overview of his last few lectures and wondered where she might have misplaced her class notes. It hadn't helped that she hadn't had time to study with Maurice that week; she always did better when they studied together.

Propping her head up in tired resignation as she glanced at the tests he had handed out, she waited until he gave them permission to start then gave it her best shot. She sighed at the end, knowing it was far than her most accurate test but was too exhausted to care at the point. She picked up her new scroll of homework and read it over without really intending to start it, just reviewing it to kill time until everyone was done. Severus was busy trying to stay ahead of the tests as they were turned in, marking each one. At the end, he was only behind two or three tests, finishing up swiftly and glancing at the overall totals as if completely unsurprised.

"I am going to go over a few points that you will need to finish next week's homework on the board, which will also give you some insight to the indirect effects of temporal magic," Severus said. "Those of you who did well on the test should easily be able to handle it, since we covered a great deal of temporal magic and its direct consequences this week. Those of you who managed to pass but struggled with it would do well to go over the last two lecture notes to find the answers of what you do did wrong and correct them; as for the two of you who failed, I expect for you do see me after class for remedial work. That would be you, Mr. Willowby, and you, Professor Craw." The class gasped and looked at the professor, who was grimacing in pain and embarrassment. "Notebooks? Now?" Severus prompted, and the entire class began scrambling to get them out from under their desks.

Before she knew it, the class was filing out for the day, Maurice making brief eye contact with her before going to wait outside. Sighing, she looked back at Charles who was quite annoyed, and quite defiant as well. Severus took a moment to look over their assignments.

"I see that despite the fact you both managed to turn in your work promptly and complete that you both seem to be having trouble keeping up with class lectures," Severus said critically. "Why do I suspect that your notes are as disorganized as your answers were that last test? Let me see them, please."

"I left mine in my room," Charles said with a shrug.

"Then what did you write today's lecture on?" Severus asked.

"The back of my homework sheet. I don't take many notes… Father didn't either," Charles added as a defense.

"You do not have perfect recall, Mr. Willowby, as this last test score would attest to," Severus said. "I suggest you get today's notes from one of the students who did pass that test, hopefully before you sit detention with me tonight. That goes for you as well, Professor Craw."

"What!"

"Professor, your score was even lower than his was, and I know perfectly well that you know how to properly take notes," he said, reaching for her notebook and opening it with a surprised frown. "Although I admit that these seem to be lacking by a fair amount… it seems you've noted some rather vague references but managed to miss three of the main points of my last two lectures. Is the material really that far over your head, Jennifer? I know you don't have a lot of time to spend studying, but I am concerned over the fact that you're not copying these notes correctly and I have dumbed down this subject as much as I dare already."

"Dumbed down?" Jennifer repeated, feeling the heat rise in her neck and cheeks.

"I want a better look at these… I'll return them this evening when you both come back after dinner for an extra two hours of classwork," Severus said.

"Two hours? But what about security?" Jennifer blurted out.

"I'm sure I can have someone fill in. Getting you caught up on this course is much more important… for _our_ security. Besides, I can't very well hold Charles over when your score was even worse than his, can I? See you both after dinner," Severus said calmly. Jennifer followed Charles out, quite infuriated about the entire situation. Severus turned back to her notes and gazed at the disorganized paper thoughtfully. Coming up with a solution, Severus went to the library to fetch a specific book on charms and enchantments.

"Good afternoon, Severus," said Icarus, and Severus glanced between the rows of books to spot the ghost hovering with a couple of scrolls in his wispy arms. "Research?"

"No, just something I need for class. Any particular reason you're inquiring?" Severus inquired.

"Not really, just making idle conversation," Icarus said. Severus eyed him dubiously. "Oh, very well, there was a reason, actually. I was wondering if you've found anything out about those roaming gargoyles yet."

"I have others looking into it," Severus said.

"Jennifer?" Icarus asked.

"No, she has enough on her plate just dealing with her classes and security for the games, not to mention keeping up with study of Ancient Magic. Do you have something to report on the subject?" Severus asked.

"No, nothing that's happened as yet and there's nothing that's going to happen worth warning you about, since it'll be obvious. However, I am a bit concerned that students seem to be getting involved…"

"If they didn't get involved, I would wonder who teleported me out Hogwarts. Of course they're going to get involved. Perhaps they are attempting to work out the same thing that I have been mulling over for days now… a motive as to why anyone would want to move the gargoyles in the first place," Severus said. "If the motive was to simply gain control over them, they wouldn't have reason to move any with perhaps the exception of the new one from the lake. If the motive were to threaten us or to harm us, someone would have been hurt by now… it would have been done that first night, before we were aware that anything unusual was going on. In fact, the only working theory I have at the moment is that whoever is behind this is doing to for one reason only; to get attention. Rather like Quintin does when he's off his schedule; doing everything in his power intentionally and unintentionally to let everyone in his general vicinity know that he's been inconvenienced by the interruption."

"I hardly think the strange behavior of the gargoyles is merely the result of a tantrum, Severus," Icarus said with a disapproving frown.

"No? I've seen you do worse. What about that incident in Azkaban when you put Thomas Craw in a vault as petrified as stone just to get my wife's attention?" Severus challenged him.

"I wasn't doing it for attention… well, not for the most part… I was very concerned about prison security at that point, as I'm sure you remember perfectly well," Icarus said indignantly. Severus gazed at him in apparent surprise, but then his expression changed dramatically.

"Perhaps that is their motivation as well. Perhaps someone doesn't trust our security measures and is therefore trying to usurp it… and if whatever happens next is obvious, that would be because something must happen that tries to breach that security… we'll speak about this again some other time, Icarus. I believe that I'm going to take some precautions of my own," Severus said, hurrying to the front desk with his books.

Icarus let out a sorrowful moan the moment he was alone.

"If I were mortal, I think I'd kill myself again," Icarus said, then decided to retreat to the North Tower instead.

Severus went straight up to his office and over to the chess table, moving the black king and castling him to the left before slipping out the sitting room door and towards the hospital wing.

Leu was sitting up on his bed, keeping as still as possible as Ginny put a stethoscope to his chest. Seeing movement by the door, Leu looked up just as Severus stepped in.

"Well, your lungs definitely sound as clear as ever, Leu. That's odd… your heart rate just shot up," she said, but then looked around. "Oh, never mind," Ginny chuckled. "You're free to go, but I'd prefer it if you took it easy for the rest of the day."

"And he may as well enjoy the rest, considering I made certain that Bellamy was handling their detentions this round," Severus said dangerously. "I expect you had better spend the time in your room getting caught up on whatever work you've missed today."

"Yes, sir. I will," Leu said solemnly.

"And the next time someone makes an unreasonable challenge and you are worried about their welfare, tell your advisor or a professor before attempting to handle it yourself," Severus scolded.

"That probably would have been better," Leu agreed with his typical, unreadable expression.

"He's nothing like any of your other children, is he?" Ginny commented with a chuckle.

"None of them are alike, actually. Come, Llewellyn, straight to the Ravenclaw tower," Severus said. Quickly, Leu fished Copper out from under the bed, grabbed his cloak, and caught up to Severus in the hallway.

"Do you suppose it would be all right if I went to the obstacle course semifinals tonight?" Leu asked.

"Wouldn't it be better if you recovered fully so that you could attend the finals this weekend?" Severus rebutted with a disapproving frown. "I'm sure Bellamy can find a temporary replacement for you."

"Well, I thought after everything that happened, I should support Diana to let her know there are no hard feelings. Perhaps it'd be all right if I watched from the stands?" Leu suggested. "She's a rather odd girl, isn't she? Well, I mean, they're all a bit odd in a way, but she's odd in a different sort of way." Severus rolled his eyes.

"Llewellyn, do me a favor and go up to your room and put your mind on your books. I think the girl has gotten you into enough trouble already," Severus said.

"Yes, sir," Leu sighed, but then stopped after turning the corner.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Severus asked, then peered around the corner and groaned audibly. Standing in the corridor and blocking all the rooms leading to the tower was a statue.

"Are you ready to hear my riddle?" the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw asked.

"Rowena, why are you guarding this hallway?" Severus asked.

"Lovely, little, lazy, me; Sometimes possessive and yet you see; I will shorten your work for thee. With one swift move, you set me free… so tell, me, then, what do you suppose I could be?" she asked. Severus gazed at Llewellyn thoughtfully.

"Any guesses?" Severus asked. Leu, who was quite certain from the Professor's expression that he had already worked it out, thought over the words again, trying to fathom what it was. He gestured with his hand and then stared at it a moment, finally looking up.

"An apostrophe," Leu said at last.

"Yes, although I don't see how that answers my question at all," Severus said as Rowena slid to the side. "Go on to your room, Llewellyn, it seems I have a statue to move."

"Yes, sir," Leu said, watching him stride away curiously but dutifully went back to his houserooms.

* * *

><p>Severus went down to the Quidditch Pitch to find that the booths were already getting set up for the afternoon games. Glancing at them thoughtfully, Severus then turned to stare at the different Quidditch Towers searchingly, making certain every shadow could be accounted for.<p>

"If you're looking for gargoyles, most of them have been hanging out around the farm," said the unmistakable voice of Thomas Craw as he walked up behind Severus. "They only hang around here during events. By the way, can I look at your lists to see whose buying tickets to which events?"

"What makes you think there's a correlation between who is going to events and the gargoyles' movements?" Severus asked.

"Do you have a better explanation?" Thomas challenged him. "Anyway, I was wondering if there's any way you'd allow a certain ex-Transfiguration professor back on the grounds. He wants to see Maurice compete in the precision final." Severus let out a soft groan. "I'll escort him myself if it'll make you feel any better, and he'll stay mostly human."

"Any thought to how Webstring, Knicknack, and Tassels and Panning will react when they hear he's on the grounds? Not to mention the governors' board…"

"Damn the board, Severus, it's their fault you had to hold this outrageous fundraiser in the first place. As for the other goblins, they seem to be tolerating their other inconveniences well enough, including that Platt boy over there," he pointed out. Severus looked up in surprise. Sure enough, Boulderdash and Xavier were walking together towards the stands. "It isn't like I asked Sludgebat to come down here, is it?" Thomas sneered.

"Perish the thought," Severus said dryly.

"Someone would perish at any rate," Thomas agreed. "I think I'll go buy Earham a ticket."

"I'll warn the other staff," Severus said.

"Headmaster Snape! Might I have a word?" called out Abraxus Coventry, stepping out from one of the booths. Snape put a hand on Thomas' arm in an attempt to curb the man's first impulse to leave. "It's about that dreadful rule of yours not allowing House Elves and Imps on school property. I don't suppose that could be lifted from the Pavilions? Between that and some of the restrictions you put on flying familiars during game times, it's been quite difficult for me to keep up with some of my obligations, especially in the absence of wands."

"No, I don't think that is a good idea, Mr. Coventry. Considering that business last year where Nelson used his House Elf to get the badgimera to destroy the main greenhouse, I believe that Professor Craw and I have reason to be cautious… considering that particular Elf was never caught," Severus said.

"Yes, yes. Bagman was never caught either, Severus, but I don't see you rolling up the welcome mats because of it," Coventry said bluntly. "Just because Bagman is on the run doesn't mean he's any less dangerous, you know. His followers are everywhere…"

"And you were one of them," Severus interrupted.

"Nonsense. He coerced me into whatever it was he had me doing, and then they erased my memory, as you well know. If I were guilty, why would they bother?" Coventry shrugged. "The point is, he could still be coercing other wizards who could very well be here at the school now. You have more important security concerns than whether or not I can send messages to my company. Nobody is likely to care whether or I bring my servant or not."

"Excuse me, but may I answer him, Severus?" Thomas asked calmly. A bit taken aback by the fact that he even bothered to ask his permission, Severus nodded. "Thank you," Thomas said politely, and then turned to Coventry. "Abraxus, you are a complete asshole."

"I beg your pardon?" Abraxus said when he finally recovered from the initial blow.

"I don't care if your memory was erased. You weren't coerced any more than that pudgy bastard at the Malfoy mansion or that old bat down in Archives. You would have helped Bagman regardless. You hate me and you hate Severus and my daughter, and you would have helped him plot against us for that reason alone, let alone the fact that the Collector's Society is nothing short of being remnants of Equinox that refused to get a hint. The only thing saving you from a double lashing right now is the fact you have a son, a hoodlum, and a selfish brat that still attend this school, but it doesn't change the fact that you are the very _last_ person either of us are going to make any accommodations for. Now, go away before I throw you off the property for creating a public disturbance or whatever else I can come up with on the fly," Thomas warned.

"Fine," Coventry said coldly, managing to keep his composure. "But for the record, I think you are a murderer who only became a Minister on the pretense of being a war hero and the fact that you did Minister Malfoy a favor getting rid of his father. You are blunt, uncouth, and definitely the rudest individual I have ever met, and I look forward to the day that Malfoy leaves office and people see you for who you really are."

"Thank you, but you know as well as I do there are no term limits for Minister of Magic, and if the landslides he has been getting so far from the voters are any indication, he isn't going anywhere, and neither am I or Severus. You'll be rotting in hell before any of us leave," Thomas said with an unconcerned shrug, waving him away.

"Craw ego. You'll no more live forever than your son will win Precision Casting this evening. It will be quite satisfying to watch my son put yours in his place," Coventry said, but then decided to storm off before Craw lost his patience.

"Which son do you suppose he meant?" Craw asked, watching him storm towards the Slytherin quarter.

"The hoodlum," Severus clarified.

"Oh," Thomas said, then snorted. "So he's delusional as well as everything else I said. At least Abraxus will be out of your hair in a couple years. My trouble with him will start when Don graduates… assuming that he makes it that far."

"He only has to finish out this year, and his marks are passable for the most part," Severus said.

"It doesn't count for his behavior, though, does it? Don't hold your breath if you're expecting him to make it until spring. I know I'm not," Thomas said seriously. "I'm going to see if Maurice is out of class yet."

"I'll be at the Precision finals," Severus said. Nodding at that, Thomas walked off while Severus went back into the school, feeling even uneasier than when he had gone out to check on things.

* * *

><p>Knowing there would be no one willing to sit with him that evening, Noah decided to skip dinner and instead tried to cram the majority of his homework in the hour before that night's games were scheduled. The library was packed with other students trying to do the same thing, including Keir Box, who didn't mind the ghost following him to the grounds.<p>

"I only have tickets for Precision. It's the only one with a final tonight, and I'm trying to conserve my money for finals," Keir explained. "I do have enough to grab something at the booths, though. Just how are you paying for tickets for your events, anyway?"

"Oh, Professor Ravenclaw sponsors my tuition as well as my allowance. He calls it, 'a show of solidarity', whatever that means. As long as my marks are good, he gives me extra coin and sometimes tickets," Noah explained.

"Wow, I should have a sponsor. All I have are parents," Keir snorted. "Look, there's your sponsor now. Do you suppose he has any extra tickets to whatever it is you're going to so I can sit with you?"

"Actually, I have Leu's ticket with me," Noah said. "No point bothering him about that. Besides, he looks rather busy," he explained. Keir readily agreed, impatient to get out. But Noah couldn't help but notice that Professor Ravenclaw didn't only look busy, he also looked worried about something as he hurried down the corridor and down the back stairs.

Icarus floated straight through the wall where the secret passage started in the dungeon and over to the new passage. Frowning at the tunnel entrance, he then floated up through the ceiling and into the Trophy Room.

"The gargoyles have changed positions, again, Caprica," Icarus said. "And I'm afraid I've inadvertently put the Headmaster on edge."

"Never mind that! What is he planning to do, Ick?" Caprica asked impatiently.

"I don't know. Whatever he thinks he has to, I suppose," Ick said. "I'm sorry I'm not more help, Caprica, but I really don't remember much about this year… I remember the next two years quite vividly, though…"

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to make sure the school makes it to next year without closing down, Ick," Caprica said.

"That would put a hole in my information," Ick agreed.

"Lady Dusthorn! Sir Nicholas reporting, dear lady," Sir Nicholas said as he faded into view.

"What's the word, Nick?" Caprica asked.

"The good friar has informed me that the Headmaster's gargoyle is missing again, and from the reports I received from the Baron… well… I do not think it'll return this time, because it sounds as if it has broken school security protocol and has freed itself from its restrictions," Nick said.

"Those gargoyles were put in at the same time as the castle, Nick! I can't see how any of them could be freed from that…"

"Wrong!" the Baron snarled. He appeared a moment later, his face even angrier than normal. "If you saw it with your own eyes, you would no longer doubt it! It has morphed into the embodiment of its master! He has full control now, and there's nothing we can do to stop him from taking over security!"

"I don't believe it! And even if I did, I'd never give in to anything that would compromise the school! And I'm tired of being stuck up here and not knowing what's going on! Ick, grab some paintings!" Caprica ordered.

"But they'll be missed, Caprica. We can't do that," Ick reminded her.

"Just grab some out of the storage closets. I'm sure they're all bored and would love an exciting mission," Caprica said.

"Fine, but I will not be held responsible for any complaints of mold," Icarus decided, floating through the wall into the next room.

"What should we do about the Headmaster's Study, my lady? I believe that the current Headmaster and his wife would probably revolt if we put Lady Ravenclaw's statue at his door again," Nick said.

"For that, you'll have to use a painting," Caprica decided. "And I'm pretty sure there's only one that's going to satisfy them."

* * *

><p>Jennifer testily tapped her pen against the desk, wondering what was keeping Severus. There were so many other things she could be doing instead of waiting for him in a classroom, finding herself thinking over all the papers she had left to mark and wondering who was on security that night. Charles, who could also think of many other things he would rather be doing, seemed much more resigned. He was in that classroom after regular hours so often that he felt as if he spent more time in there than he had spent in all his other classes combined. He had been determined to try to stay out of it, but so far had limited success, reprieved only due to the fact that several of his teachers decided not to take his low scoring tests to the Headmaster as long as his work was being turned in. Jennifer was one of those teachers. He glanced sympathetically in her direction, noting her restlessness and that she wanted out of there as badly as he did.<p>

At the strike of the hour, the Headmaster strode in with papers in hand.

"I see both of you had enough sense to be here on time," he said as he strode to the front. "I have your notes here, and after inspecting them I have come to some conclusions. Your troubles, Mr. Willowby, are due to the fact that not only are your notes a disorganized mess without even the pretense of order, but it is somewhat obvious that you don't usually bother reading them after you've jotted them down. Your notes, Professor Craw, are also a bit disorganized, although you at least managed to line them up on the paper correctly instead of the clustered arrangement Willowby has. Your main trouble seems to be copying down trivial points while leaving major points out. In short, you're 'not getting it'," Severus summarized dryly. Jennifer gave him a sheepish, apologetic grin. "So for the next two hours, we're going to try to tackle both issues. I am going to revisit the lecture you both so thoroughly insulted with your ignorance, with the understanding that both of your are going to learn how to copy your notes more efficiently. Tomorrow morning, I also expect two completely revised sets of notes waiting for me on this desk. You should always go over your notes after you are out of the classroom, Mr. Willowby, and preferably before you turn in at night so that the details are still fresh in your mind so that you can add points when necessary. And from now on, you will always have the courtesy of studying those notes before you enter this class, or at the very least rereading them. If I get another mark like this from either of you because of your lazy handling of the material, the next detention will not be as pleasant," he warned seriously, then raised his wand.

Much to their surprise, he didn't go over to the blackboard as he normally did. Instead, he used his wand to write in the air. Not that that was completely unheard of, even outside of Arithmantics, although it was at times much harder to see. Charles was quite intrigued by the fact that all of the notes magically reversed the moment the line was finished so that they could read them, but he wondered why he bothered using such a charm when he could simply turn his back to them and write them the proper way. But Jennifer wasn't wondering why at all. She was beaming with both approval and relief, enthusiastically copying her notes. Severus paused part of the way through, giving her work only a cursory glance while taking longer to advise Charles on some improvements to his notes. Finally, he gave Charles some basic guides for revising them in better order and let him go before looking over Jennifer's notes with much more interest.

"This is an astounding difference," Severus admitted.

"That was brilliant, Severus! It made it ever so much easier being able to see your face. Might we do it during your normal classes as well?" Jennifer asked with an alluring smile.

"If it'll help you get through it, yes. We really need to start on that prototype. I don't suppose you could start me on soft metals so we can expedite that?" Severus suggested.

"Oh, good heavens, no, you're not anywhere near ready for that," Jennifer snorted. Severus frowned but nodded. "Although… I know something I could teach you now that might make it easier to bridge that gap more quickly," Jennifer realized, Severus looking over with interest. "Crystal item making. You know crystal structure from an alchemy perspective better than anyone alive except perhaps Dumbledore. I'd probably only need to teach you a handful of manipulation spells before I could get you to other stones, minerals… and then on to metals. Of course, that is almost the reverse order of what I normally teach, but if you can meet me half way, I can do the same."

"What matters is we learn as quickly as possible while keeping life tolerable for the other in the classroom at the same time. It can't be any more fun for you having me in your classroom as it is for me having you in mine," Severus said.

"Well, no," Jennifer admitted. "But I am learning quite a bit from the experience… from both perspectives, actually."

"Same," Severus said evenly, Jennifer smiling enigmatically in response. "You had better go rescue Ashley from that demon of ours so we can get back down to the pitch. Precision starts in half an hour, you know."

"Well, we certainly can't miss that, can we?" Jennifer said. "I suppose you'll want me to save you a seat."

"Yes, but no mirrors this time," he advised, rolling up his notes and going to the back stairs as she wandered towards the front.

But at the point where he normally could see the gargoyle at his study door, he squinted. Then he noticed the painting and strode up to it, staring at it in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, frowning at the gestures. "What was that last sign?" The portrait of Severus Snape slowly spelled out a word letter by letter. "Security? I see. How do you normally sign that again?" Severus crossed his arms with two fists. "Fine. I suppose Dusthorn sent you up here because the gargoyles have rearranged again, and perhaps she has a point. At least I know you're unlikely to let anyone in that I wouldn't approve of, assuming you don't wander off like you did earlier this year," Severus said with annoyance, but the portrait simply pointed back at him and shrugged, apparently believing that the real Severus might have done the same. "Well, I don't care how angry the Jennifer portrait is. I expect you to be at this post until we have this business with the gargoyles cleared up."

Professor Rogue glowered and began to pull out a stack of books to read. Ignoring the implied warning that it was going to take a while, Severus went in to glance at his schedule and grab his cloak, double-checking the Map to make sure Leu was still in his room before going down to meet Jennifer.


	16. On the Defense

Chapter Sixteen

On the Defense

By the time Severus made it to the pitch, it was already bustling with parents, vendors, and students… students who had probably rushed through their studies to get there early. Severus sighed, wondering if he should give an impromptu test in Ancient Runes to make a point. But his thoughts were soon interrupted and he stopped in his tracks, for several gargoyles had decided to settle between the entrances.

Hurrying over to where the Precision finals were to be held, he soon discovered Sashassin at the bottom of the stands. Jennifer stood in front of him, for Quintin had mimicked the snake's hiss playfully and the statue tolerantly stretched its stone head out so that the baby could pet him.

"All right, young man, let's get to our seats," Jennifer said, counting the seats on her fingers distractedly before choosing an empty row to claim.

"I can't believe you just let your child go near that thing," Regina said critically when she took the seat right behind Jennifer. Regina sat next to a woman with sandpaper skin and a haunted gaze, who was also apparently unimpressed by Jennifer's actions.

"Did the gargoyle give you a difficult time, Regina?" Jennifer asked sympathetically.

"It's been hissing and snapping at practically everyone who has tried to enter from that direction," Regina complained. "Most of us had to go around."

"He's only trying to do his duty, Ms. Wisecraft," Aurelius said, stepping up from the left. "Sashassin's normal job is to keep nosy students out of maintenance areas under the castle. He is supposed to be disagreeable."

"Well, then, what is it doing up here?" Regina snapped irritably.

"Extra security, what else?" Severus replied as he came up behind Jennifer to take his seat as well. "All of the gargoyles are tied to Hogwarts security. It isn't all that surprising they would be on guard for a high profile event, would it?"

"This is only one event of many with a very limited number of students participating. I would think that the team sports would be more of a security threat," Regina said.

"Better to over plan than to be unprepared. Good evening, Thomas," Severus added as Thomas sat next to him.

"I would have been here sooner, but I had to stop and give Sashassin some attention. I swear, the thing follows me around like a starved stray puppy. You should let him out of the dungeons more," Thomas decided.

"Thomas, that snake gargoyle is extremely temperamental and doesn't get along with the majority of students. I think it is probably better off guarding the cistern," Severus said.

"Then why do you have him out here now?" Regina challenged him primly.

"Stop being so nosy, you bitter old squib. I told you he was following me around," Thomas grunted.

"What a beast you are!" Regina exclaimed. She quickly got up to find a better seat, helping her companion to her feet.

"Your ex has called me worse," Thomas retorted.

"Dad, really!" Jennifer exclaimed in disapproval.

"Those kids are messed up thanks to both of their efforts, Jengirl, you know it as well as I," Thomas grunted. "Oh, there's Earham," he said, standing a moment so they could find them. Severus stood to let them pass, Earham Singh giving him a polite nod, while Severus nodded coolly back as Earham quickly took a seat.

"No Fleur?" Earham inquired.

"Still down on the pitch with Maurice. I'm sure she'll be up in a moment," Thomas said.

Suddenly the snake gargoyle took off across the field with such speed that students leapt out its way as it darted across to the stands across from them. Severus and Thomas leapt up, while Jennifer frantically looked for someone to pass Quintin to.

"Here, let me have him, Jennifer, get down there and find out what's going on," Severus said, Jennifer staring at him in surprise. "You're security, after all."

"Right," Jennifer agreed, following Thomas down to the field. The two of them hurried across to the standings on the other side.

Thomas was not surprised to find that the gargoyle had descended on none other than Abraxus Coventry. Coventry stood in front of it with a flustered and fearful expression, while dangling in the gargoyle's mouth was a rope… tied around the waist of a forlorn House Elf.

"What in stars is going on here? Mr. Coventry, I distinctly remember informing you that no House Elves or Imps are allowed on property except for the school's regular staff!" Jennifer said angrily.

"Yes, the Headmaster informed him of that as well," Thomas added.

"Never mind about that! I'll have you know that this gargoyle tried to attack me!" Coventry snapped.

Thomas calmly took his wand out of his sleeve and cast a spell on Abraxus that made him glow. "Maybe it's because you have a wand on you," he suggested.

"What? How did you get through the gates with a wand?" Jennifer asked with alarm.

"It's my son's wand, actually," Abraxus explained, holding it out. "He was complaining that it didn't seem to be aligned properly during the semi finals, so I offered to have it looked at."

"I see. So you called the House Elf to deliver his new wand," Jennifer said, taking the wand and inspecting it.

"I don't see how you could come to such a conclusion! What makes you think that Elf is even mine?" Abraxus asked hotly. "I'm sure you don't know every House Elf in this school."

"Even if I wasn't a Truth Seeker, Mr. Coventry, the school's House Elves now wear personalized uniforms, and it's plain to see this one isn't in one of them. If Donald had any concerns about his wand, all he would have had to do is bring it up to the staff or one of the judges and we would have made sure it was taken care of," Jennifer said. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't accept any more wands from your children while on property. It is against current security rules, after all, and if it happens again, I have every right to throw you off the property for not abiding by them."

"Personally, I think you should go ahead and do it now," Thomas grunted.

"I would rather that the Coventry children have an opportunity to compete in front of both of their parents, so I'm giving him a second chance. But this is the last chance, since you very well knew our security rules before stepping foot on the property," Jennifer said.

"If it weren't for my children, I wouldn't have anything to do with this school. It has been going downhill ever since Snape took over, and I will be quite glad when I can finally wash my hands of it!" Coventry huffed.

"Yes, so will we," Thomas said dryly, casting another charm. "He's clean now, Jengirl."

"Good," Jennifer said. "You can return to your seat, but your servant really needs to return home."

"I'll take care of it. Come on, Sashassin, let's go take out the trash," Thomas said, walking towards the gates. After a moment, the gargoyle decided to follow, slithering behind with the House Elf still dangling from his mouth.

Blowing hair out of her face, Jennifer glanced around, frowning when she saw the large gargoyle from the lake at the top of the stands, poised as if listening. Tapping the wand against her hand, she gazed at it thoughtfully before deciding to have a word with the judges. Afterwards, she turned to make her way up the stands to where she had seen the gargoyle, but in the time it had taken her to inform the judges what had taken place, it had moved again. Furrowing her brows in concern, Jennifer hurried off the field to check the other gates.

* * *

><p>Mike stared at Maurice's mum as she sauntered towards the stands. After a moment he realized what he was doing and attempted to shake it off, stepping over to the judge's booths for the final wand check. Garvan and Hope, feeling lucky to have gotten that far, chatted merrily and without the pressure of trying to reach the top. In fact, they were entertaining themselves by debating whether Maurice or Mike was going to finish first, and were doing it so openly that Mike hit Garvan with the back of his hand to get him to stop.<p>

"The competition hasn't even started yet. It's still anyone's game," Mike scowled at them.

"Not likely," Garvan chuckled. "Although I must admit it'd be more of an open and shut case if Maurice was able to use his normal wand, because then I think he'd win straight out. Having a borrowed wand puts him at a disadvantage, you know."

"Maurice is good no matter what wand he has. I seriously doubt it makes that much of a difference," Mike said, turning back around. That was when he noticed that the judges were spending a longer time studying his brother's wand than the time before, and then he noticed that the color and shape was strikingly unfamiliar.

"Twelve and three-quarters silver oak hawk talon," Filius reported as Archibald looked it over and passed it to Danyelle, who wrote it down. "Looks like a Grendelbane wand from its workmanship."

"It's one of my father's wands. He sent it to me for good luck," Don replied.

"Do you suppose he's up to something with that sudden switch?" Hope asked in a low voice.

"If it's charmed, they should catch it," Garvan murmured to her, then they watched and waited until the judges finally passed back the wand. Maurice was next, with his father's spare wand, and then Mike stepped up, passing over his.

"Ah, yes. I remember this wand," Filius said, giving it a glance before passing it on and marking it off. "Better suited for your brother's talents than yours, however."

"Yes, I know," Mike agreed. "But I'm comfortable with it, and I'd rather not switch wands in the middle of a competition anyway."

"I wouldn't either, if I were first going into the finals," Filius agreed with a chuckle, waving him to the benches. It wasn't long before all six were there and Danny walked up with a thin smile.

"We're going to be going in order of point totals, so Michael, you're first. Ready for your warm ups?" Madame Brittle asked.

"All right," Michael sighed and walked over, trying to ignore the crowd noise when his name was called. Going first was a mixed blessing, since he had no other scores to try to beat, and they would be striving to beat his. On the other hand, once his was done, he had the advantage of being able to sit down and relax while everyone else went instead of letting his nerves build from having to watch and wait.

Keeping his shoulders relaxed and his body straight, Michael gazed at the target and cast his first warm-up. Much to his surprise, the shot was way low and barely hit the target. Blinking in surprise, he wondered if he hadn't followed through on his wave. Trying to shake off the sudden tension in his arms, Michael cast again. This time it was at least in the inner ring, but still low and to the side.

"Always good to get those shots out of your system beforehand," Madame Brittle said encouragingly. But Michael frowned at his wand uncertainly, wondering if something was wrong with it. Feeling much less confident, he gazed at the two practice shots and where they fell at before moving over to the judged target. Perhaps he could adjust for how the wand was pulling?

More than a little afraid that he would end up overcompensating for the difference in the feel, Michael's first shot was low and off center, internally feeling the groan of the crowd inside him. After steadying his aim, the second shot was a bit closer, until finally the third hit dead-on, much to his relief. But when he saw his number on the board, he cringed in pain, knowing that the other five contestants were more than capable of beating it.

"Are you all right?" Maurice asked him when we returned to the bench. Maurice stood up, trying to stretch out a bit.

"I don't know… it felt like the wand wasn't pulling the way I'm used to. It was almost as if it wasn't my own…" Mike stopped short and stared at the wand, taking a much closer look at his wand. "It's platinum."

"What?" Maurice blinked.

"The band is platinum, not steel. This is my brother's wand," Mike realized angrily, glaring at Don. Don had his arms folded and was shaking his head with a smug look on his face.

"Wait! Don't go over there now, you'll just end up getting disqualified," Maurice hissed. "Tell the judges about it. Maybe there's a rule against it!"

"About ready to go, Maurice?" Danny asked, stepping over.

"Wait, we have a question about the rules," Maurice said when Mike was too flustered to speak up. "Mike somehow ended up with Don's wand instead of his own, and it threw off his scores. Can't he redo them or something? Assuming we can find his own wand."

"Did you check in with this wand?" Danny asked solemnly.

"Yes, I think so," Mike said. "It hasn't left my hand since."

"I'll consult the other judges, Mike, but I have a feeling that since that's the wand you checked in with and they wrote it down as meeting with regulations, it's going to count. There's no proof it was done intentionally, and there's also no proof that you're not just using it as an excuse to prove your score," Danny explained. "Perhaps you should have inspected it yourself before giving it to the judges," she added.

"I never felt I needed to go that far… until now," Mike said seethed. Danny smiled at him sympathetically.

"If you're going to be an Auror, you'd better learn to be more suspicious. It'll keep you alive longer, you know," Danny said. "I'll go see what the other judges think."

Thomas Craw was tapping his hand against one of his folded arms as Maurice and Mike walked over to the judges' table with Danny.

"Do you suppose something is wrong?" Fleur asked nervously. Thomas shrugged.

"Those were low numbers for Michael. Perhaps they suspect some sort of tampering," Severus suggested, glancing down at where Regina was sitting. Her lips had thinned and there was a cold gaze in her eyes.

"Possibly, or possibly it was just the pressure of the finals and having to go first," Earham suggested.

"His shoulders were relaxed and his form was perfect," Thomas shrugged. "He just seemed off today. About time you got back," he added in such a critical tone that everyone looked up. Jennifer worked her way down the row behind them and stepped over to take her place.

"I'm sorry, but I do have security to consider. I was trying to figure out where the lake gargoyle went," Jennifer said softly.

"Did you find it?" Severus asked.

"No, I had another disagreeable encounter with the Ravenclaw statue near the Ravenclaw Quidditch box, although she didn't seem to be pestering anyone until she saw me," Jennifer said irritably.

"Really? What was her riddle?" Severus asked with interest.

"I don't know, Severus, I really wasn't paying attention… something about the parts of a tree, I think. Does it really matter?" Jennifer said.

"Perhaps. I keep getting the feeling she's trying to tell us something," Severus murmured.

"Oh, Severus, she always tells those horrid riddles…"

"It is her main form of communication, Jennifer, and the only one of the founder statues that speaks at all, charmed with an artificial intelligence. I asked her a direct question the other day, and she answered with a riddle. I don't think it would be wise to discount the possibility that the answers may have hidden clues in them," Severus said.

"Well, I think she's just a silly statue who is charmed to tell riddles with nonsensical answers," Jennifer argued and found herself hushed.

"It's Maurice's turn next!" Thomas protested.

"I'll go look for that other gargoyle after Maurice is done," Jennifer murmured. Severus nodded, turning his attention to the activity on the Pitch.

It was obvious from the way that Maurice was standing that he wasn't taking his warm up seriously. It was as if he was intentionally missing just to get them over with. But at last he focused in on the target and snapped his wand with a powerful sweep of the arm, the spell landing in the direct center of the target. The crowd clapped all around them in appreciation. Fleur began to clap, but then stopped when she noticed that the rest of the family hadn't moved and decided to lace her fingers together instead. Only Quintin's persistent hum broke the silence in that particular row.

Maurice stepped away from the target, watching the ground and shrugging his shoulders a bit, stepping back over when the noise subsided. Once again, he was able to hit the target dead-on. He murmured to himself as he waited for the reaction to die down again, but what he might have been murmuring, few would have been able to guess. Only Earham Singh had an idea of which poem Maurice may have quoted on such an occasion. The goblin nodded to himself as the boy went for his third cast and was completely unsurprised when it hit its mark as well, a perfect score appearing on the board.

"Is it all right to clap now?" Fleur asked her husband excitedly, and at his smug nod she leapt to her feet and began to clap enthusiastically.

"Do any of the others have the skill necessary to tie him?" Earham asked Thomas.

"I suppose it's possible," Thomas admitted reluctantly. "Unlikely, but possible."

"I'll try to keep an eye on the scores, then," Jennifer promised apologetically before slipping back down the stairs.

"Oh, here comes that other Coventry brat," Thomas snorted; completely missing the dirty look Regina had thrown at him. "He seems a bit more sure of himself this time," he observed. "Watch, it'll cost him in the end."

As if to spite him, the first shot Don took was a perfect bulls-eye, and the crowd broke out in cheers. All of the other competitors except for Maurice looked a bit nervous, Don observed, including his brother. It was that triumph that had him pumped up before his second shot, which went wide left, taking him by surprise and causing many of his friends and spectators to wince or groan at their seats. Angrily, he took his last shot, hitting dead center but left too large of a hole, as if it had gotten there at a strange slant. Well, it wasn't perfect, but at least it was good enough to knock his brother out of second place.

Mike did his best to ignore Don's sneering expression and instead focused on the board with a frown. Don's second shot was so off that even with his two good marks, his score was almost as low as Mike's. It was in that moment that Mike knew he was out of the running, for Garvan, Hope, and Terry from Ravenclaw still had their turns. Unfortunately for Garvan, his nerves got the better of him, and he did even worse than Mike. Terry wasn't much for precision and did about the same; more concerned about making a decent showing for the hexathlon and not much caring about whether he received a metal in this particular event or not. But there was a spark in Hope's eye that she often got when she was determined, and a cocky smile that he had seen cross all of the Willowby children at one time or another. With lightning fast speed, she launched all three shots one after another, easily securing second place when all three of her shots were inside the innermost circle.

"How typical!" Don said with disgust when the scores went up and she blew on the top of her wand like a smoking gun and sauntered back towards the benches. "Another of the Headmaster's relatives pulling high marks without deserving it!"

"It's all right, you can be jealous if you want. I'm just that good," Hope declared, sitting on the other side of Maurice to keep herself from becoming a target. She waved to her clapping parents and siblings all sitting in the far stands, and Maurice, made aware of the watching crowds again because of her movement, glanced over at where his father sat with his mother, Singh, and brother-in-law, and found himself wondering exactly when his sister had slipped away.

* * *

><p>By the time Jennifer finished her patrol, nearly all of the gargoyles had retreated except for Rowena Ravenclaw, who needed to be forcefully removed back to the castle. The snake gargoyle had once again taken up its chosen position at the entrance of the main pavilion, and Jennifer reluctantly decided to leave him there. After all, what had he done, really, but helped sniff out a House Elf who had no business being on the property? Still, Jennifer couldn't help but wonder what would have happened in that situation if no one had been there to intervene. Jennifer had the chilling suspicion that things would not have gone well for Abraxus at that point… for although the rogue gargoyles seemed to be doing their jobs, there was something strikingly aggressive about the way they were doing it. Was it because whoever it was that was controlling them was being aggressive? And why? And how?<p>

Troubled, Jennifer wandered back across the tracks and around the lake, distractedly observing the underwater obstacle semis as she did. She was unsurprised to see that Diana put up an astoundingly fast time that none of the other students would have a prayer in coming close to. Could Llewellyn even match that, Jennifer wondered, and found herself regretting Leu's decision not to compete. Perhaps he would reconsider the underwater sprint in the spring, she mused, especially considering Diana's persistence. Jennifer laughed softly to herself at that, knowing very well that the girl was not likely to give up challenging him. After all, it was in her blood… Jennifer's thoughts were interrupted when she came closer to the stands by the lake and noticed a ghost hovering nearby, watching the competition with a mix of interest, anxiety, and anticipation. Taken by surprise, Jennifer walked over to where the Fat Friar hovered near the end of the first bench, sometimes clasping, sometimes wringing his hands.

"Good afternoon, Arvis. Whatever are you doing out here? I don't think I've ever seen you out of the castle before," Jennifer admitted.

"The Baron told me there was a Hufflepuff girl doing well in the underwater competition, so I came out to see. He was going to meet me, but he seems to have been held up. Do you suppose anyone will match the score?" the Friar asked.

"Quite unlikely, and you needn't worry either way. The finals aren't until the weekend. This is just to see who competes then, so even if the last three do well, she'll get in," Jennifer reassured him.

"Oh, that is good news! I do hope Hufflepuff does well!" the Friar said. "They deserve more credit they get sometimes… they all do, and this is a lovely way to showcase it."

"Not Quidditch?" Jennifer asked.

"No, I rather don't care for Quidditch, it's much too brutal, and there are times when I feel as if it brings out the worst in students, not the best," the Friar explained, Jennifer chuckling softly in response. "The Olympics have always been a symbol of peace. When they started, the city-states in Greece used to put all of their wars on hold so that the road leading to Olympus would be safe for all the travelers going there. And although it's true that some of the competitions are more aggressive than others, it is a rather positive thing overall."

"Do the other castle ghosts feel like that?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh. Um… some," the Friar said carefully. "Some of the ghosts that are often bored and sleepy rather like the excitement."

"But most are alarmed by it," Jennifer murmured, gazing at his apologetic expression. "Some think that the Headmaster is unusually reckless by allowing it. But why?"

"Jennifer," called out a stern voice so close to her ear that she jumped, spinning around to see Icarus standing there. "I don't suppose you have a ticket?"

"I'm doing a security sweep, Ick," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"I believe Professor Andrew is in charge of security in this section, is he not? Perhaps you should confer with him," Icarus suggested.

"Icarus, I am head of security, as you very well know, and I will confer with who I want to confer with. Now why don't you mind your own business for a change?"

"I suppose that would be a rather refreshing change around here, wouldn't it, considering certain other people I know never do it either," Icarus commented, floating up to his seat and leaving Jennifer standing there gritting her teeth.

It wasn't until she had calmed down that she noticed that the Friar was no longer hovering nearby. Frowning, she then looked up at the stands to where Icarus went, but now she didn't see him either. Jennifer squinted. So, Icarus had intentionally distracted her so that the Friar could get away. But why would he have done so? She only had to think about it for a moment or two before she turned and strode into the castle, hurrying up the stairs to the second floor and into the Trophy Room. When she looked over the doorway, she saw that the Caprica painting wasn't there.

She turned and swiftly walked towards back stairs and down to her office, opening it up and peering in to see that the Severus portrait wasn't there either. She locked up and went to the nursery, opening the door to see that her own portrait wasn't in her frame. Wondering who to try next, she was about to enter the Headmaster's Study when she caught the sight of light brown hair in one of the paintings and turned around.

"Just a minute, Corey. You come right back into that frame this instant!" Jennifer ordered in the same tone she had often used in his youth. Reluctantly but obediently, the Corey portrait… the one from the Trophy Room, Jennifer decided… shuffled back into view. "Are you spying on me?"

"Really, Mom. Would I ever do that?" Corey protested.

"Yes, you would. And you do. Quite frequently on occasion, as a matter of fact," Jennifer said.

"Okay, you got me there," Corey said with a sheepish shrug.

"Good, then you can tell me what's going on. Why Caprica is not in the Trophy Room, where is Professor Rogue and my portrait, and why are you following me around?" she demanded.

"Oh, I was just trying to find out why you were looking for Caprica," Corey explained quickly.

"There have been some other incidents involving the gargoyles. One of which involved a parent, so I need to talk to her about that, and I also want to ask her about why the ghosts are behaving so oddly because I don't think it's simply "restlessness" any longer," Jennifer said firmly.

"Well, I can't tell you much about what's up with the ghosts, but I can tell you some of what Caprica's about, and it has to do with the gargoyles. See, Caprica and the other paintings are having a hard time keeping track of when and where the gargoyles are because they keeping going out of the view of paintings… they spend a lot of time outside, and when they move about they seem to use the secret passages, mostly at night when nobody will catch them. So Caprica has some of the other paintings and the ghosts trying to figure out a way they can keep track of them better," Corey explained.

"Now, why in stars didn't they tell us about that?" Jennifer asked in frustration. "They could have brought it up. It's a very valid complaint! Perhaps we can move some of the paintings into the passages."

"I think Caprica's already doing that, Mom, using some of the damaged paintings. But that doesn't help the times the gargoyles are outside on the grounds. The paintings would get ruined out there," Corey said.

"Yes, that's true. Essie says this is our last warm weekend before the weather changes, and rain and snow will surely be here before we know it. We certainly can't count on any gargoyles right now to do the job, since they seem to be moving on their own… no, someone is moving them, I'm sure. They're simply acting within their set behaviors. What about that lake gargoyle? We don't even know what all of its set behaviors are!" Jennifer asked, and Corey simply shrugged. "Sorry, I keep forgetting I'm talking to a painting. You probably have no way of knowing… or do you?" she asked herself, Corey shrugging again. "Perhaps one of the older paintings knows something."

"I'm sure Caprica's already asked around," Corey said carefully. "But I'll ask around on your behalf if you want me to."

"While you're at it, you can try to find out what is going on with those ghosts as well. Icarus is up to something… that much is obvious now. I'd like to have some idea as to what, and possibly when."

"Sure, I guess I could do that," Corey said, sounding a bit more reluctant.

"Thank you. I'm going to start searching the castle then out on the parapets to try and figure out where that gargoyle went. Let me know if you find out anything," Jennifer said, stepping out into the study. Corey watched her until she stepped out of the room, letting out a sigh. Suddenly, a dark-sleeved arm came into the frame and grabbed a hold of his collar. After a yelp of surprise, Corey was pulled out of view.


	17. Security Test

Chapter Seventeen

Security Test

Maurice returned from the Pavilions right after breakfast that next Sunday. He used his morning to complete his homework, and then had a quiet lunch in the Great Hall. After that, he settled into a game of Wizard Chess with the only person hanging about the common rooms who was interested in playing.

In fact, it had been some time since the Bloody Baron played a game with any of the students, and therefore was taking the game very seriously. Perhaps he would have preferred a game of cards or hazard… something he could have enticed Maurice to wager on… but any game was a distraction from death, and he was determined to win despite the fact that Maurice was proving to be a challenging opponent.

They were in the middle of the game with a knight and bishop off the board on both sides when other Slytherin began to wander in, including Garvan, who stepped over to the table.

"It is so cold out there today! The wind is really biting. I don't envy those in the underwater finals," Garvan said, still reluctant to take off his coat.

"I'm sure it was warmer in the water than out of it. Kitane won, I suppose," Maurice asked, while the Baron glared at him for not concentrating on the game.

"Easily, so I went to the Mace Throwing finals. Don actually won that one. In fact, he threw so hard that they had to repair the dummy after every shot," Garvan said. "Mike got second, and Hope third. Terry's not going to have a chance at the Hex if he doesn't get more serious about it."

"He's more interested in keeping his marks up, and really, I can't blame him for that. He only agreed to run the hexathlon when it became obvious that no one else in Ravenclaw was going to do it," Maurice said.

"I think Kim should have done the Hex," Garvan said.

"She didn't have the time. She signed up for too many of the team events," Maurice explained.

"Your move," the Baron warned dangerously.

"Sorry," Maurice said, concentrating on the board. Garvan grabbed his Transfiguration book but pulled over a chair so he could watch the game and study simultaneously. He was settled just in time to see Maurice make a cautious move that put his knight in a good position to defend both his queen, yet to move, and a rook that had been threatening the Baron's other bishop.

"You play very cautiously, Mr. Craw," the Baron commented, moving the bishop back a couple of squares.

"I don't like losing pieces," Maurice said.

"I suppose that's understandable, it's in your blood after all," the Baron ventured. "To protect your family at all costs. It influences the way you play."

"I never thought about it," Maurice admitted thoughtfully, moving a pawn up. "But you're right, perhaps it does. Every piece is important and has something to contribute, and I really don't like sacrificing them if I can help it."

"And yet the game must progress, so take care you are not simply penning your pieces in to be picked off," the Baron advised, sliding his bishop all the way to the corner to take out Maurice's rook. Maurice stared at it with his hands on his forehead in an attempt to focus, wondering how he was going to get himself out of trouble without losing any other major pieces. "It would seem that your family's strength is also its flaw," the Baron observed.

But before Maurice could work out what he meant by that, a whole slew of seventh year students flooded in. They were all hovering around Don Coventry, who was still wearing his gold medal and showing it off, angling it occasionally to try and pick up the light in the room.

"Make way for the new Hexathlon leader," said Apollo Grey, pushing away the crowd.

"There have only been two events that count towards that so far," Maurice pointed out.

"Since you were the one who earned Slytherin our first gold, I'll humor your lack of appreciation," Don said. Maurice rolled his eyes. "In fact, we've earned more medals than any other house so far; two gold and two bronze."

"True enough, but we've still a long way to go," Maurice said, making a move on the chessboard.

"And I have months to train for the rest," Don said unconcernedly. "Where's Weasley at? Isn't she in by now?"

"She was at the underwater finals," Garvan offered. "I'm not sure if she's here yet or not. She may have gone to the Owl room to study after the competition."

"Licking my brother's wounds, no doubt…" Don said acidly.

"I doubt it, really. I mean, they are friends, but they don't even talk much except when you've done something they feel is worth talking about," Garvan said in such a neutral tone that Don squinted.

"In what way do you mean that?" Don asked dangerously.

"I'll go check if you like," Garvan suggested quickly, knowing better than to continue that conversation.

Maurice decided to let Garvan go, watching him leave before turning back around to where Don and his friends were making themselves comfortable on the couch.

"You know, I really don't think she likes it when you try to call her out of something like that. It isn't exactly respectful of her position as Head Girl and Slytherin prefect," Maurice commented.

"Shut up, swot, no one asked your opinion. Don't you have some errands to run or something?"

"I already have someone running them," Maurice said, moving his knight forward. "Check." The Baron, momentarily engrossed in the tone of the exchange, forced himself to concentrate on the game.

"Lazy as well as opinionated. I suppose you expect to make prefect next year because who the Headmaster is," Don challenged him.

"I expect to make prefect based on my own merits and my ability to lead, which includes knowing how to delegate any responsibilities I have accordingly," Maurice explained calmly. "And by showing proper respect to those who have previously earned it, which includes not harassing them to the point they no longer feel comfortable with studying in Conspiracies."

"You think I'm harassing her? Oh, don't be ridiculous. I haven't done anything she hasn't ever asked for. You know she's been after me for a while now," Don snorted. Maurice stared at him. So did the Bloody Baron.

"Intriguing. It reminds me of how I got this way," the Baron murmured softly, capturing the knight. "Needless to say, it didn't end well." Maurice frowned and turned his attention back to the game, privately glad that Don retired to his room before Helena and Garvan returned.

* * *

><p>It was only a few days later that snow finally fell and covered the grounds, Quidditch Pitch, Farm and Pavilions with a thick blanket of snow. Quidditch fans braved the flurries to sit in the stands for the game between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff (a decisive win for Hufflepuff at 200-10), coddling cups of cocoa, spiced pumpkin cider, and tea as they watched. Many of them even stayed to watch the first Chaser Ball match between Hufflepuff-Slytherin (Max and Garvan teamed up to give their team its 70-50 win.) After the mid-week games, the students tried to focus on getting caught up on their studies, and before they knew it, it was the weekend again.<p>

The snow and slush gave the entire school a more Christmas-like feel to it, and a great many students seemed to be in the shopping mood. Leu got up early and slipped down to the St. Mungo's booths to find that they were already packed, so quickly tried to make his presence known by shucking off his scarf, trading his gloves for a pair with the fingertips cut out to more easily handle money.

"I don't suppose you'd help Dasher with inventory?" Corey suggested when he spotted the boy standing in the center of the area as if waiting for a task. Leu squinted at that, but didn't say anything.

"Over here, Leu," said a young goblin near a row of boxes at the back of the tent. Leu reluctantly went over to him. "You know our ledger system already, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Leu admitted.

"Then I won't insult you by trying to show it to you. Here you are, I've counted everything on the far left already. Just write the current deficit down and total the amounts we need to order from the right side there, and we'll meet up somewhere in the middle," Dasher suggested. "It is good that you are here. I was hoping to have time to meet my father for lunch today, but I would like to get this done first. Willowby would let me go anyway, of course, but the idea of how time is money is lost on him at times, no offense meant, of course," he added with a sneering grin. Leu simply nodded and did as he was asked, unaware that Corey was carefully watching the lukewarm exchange as the two of them got to work.

"We went through another box of MC Cards, Mr. Willowby," said a boy who had come up beside him.

"More cards, brilliant. Let's open up a couple more since it looks like it's going to be a busy morning, Hadrian," Corey said.

"Yes, sir," Hadrian said, waiting for him to open them and then took one back to the table. Several first years crowded around, but Corey looked over their heads and groaned softly. Corey put on a forced smile and stepped away from the counter.

"Good morning, Singh, Grandfather, and Uncle Augustus. What are you doing here?" Corey asked.

"I invited him, what else?" Thomas shrugged.

"I certainly wouldn't claim to be here out of my own free will," Augustus said dryly. "And what are you doing here? I went to your booth across the way only to be met by clerk and a goblin."

"Sprinter is one of my apprentices," Corey explained, Augustus raising an eyebrow at that. "So is Dasher right over… oh, right here," he chuckled, for Leu had come over out of curiosity and Dasher had followed along behind him. "Uncle Augustus Snape, this is Llewellyn Murphy. I don't think you've met yet."

"Oh, so this is the goblin boy from the papers, is it? One of Severus' newest acquisitions?" Augustus asked.

"I think Leu found him first, actually," Corey corrected.

"It's nice to meet you. Did you have a nice trip?" Leu asked.

"Trip?" Augustus squinted.

"You're from somewhere abroad, aren't you?"

"Nonsense. I lived in Germany during the terrors, but I've been back for quite some years now. Did my nephew say I was abroad or something?" Augustus asked suspiciously.

"No, sir. I just supposed you were, since you never visit," Leu admitted.

"It's not because I live far, I'm simply not welcome, boy," Augustus said gruffly. "Your father never cared for me much."

"Then why was Quintin named after you?" Leu asked.

"Leu, Dasher, how about finishing that order list for me, thanks," Corey suggested, and the two of them reluctantly went back over, although Leu's eyes never really left them.

"Smart boy. A bit forward, though, isn't he?" Augustus observed.

"He's just curious and not afraid to express himself. He's still adjusting in some ways," Corey explained.

"I suppose that's not surprising. I doubt he'll never fully recover from the trauma of being sold out to those green gold diggers," Augustus admitted.

"Might we change the subject?" Earham suggested acidly.

"I took the Dash twins on as apprentices in hopes of getting away from such opinions, Uncle Augustus. I'd rather you keep them to yourself when you're around me," Corey warned.

"It's not goblins in general that I mind, Corey, it's the bank that's done this. Surely you don't disagree that it was handled poorly," Augustus argued.

"All systems of government have their individual problems," Corey said. "But I'm not here to talk politics, I'm here to sell toys and gifts for the St. Mungo's orphan and reconstruction funds. So unless you want to buy something…"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind getting Maurice some cards as part of his Christmas gift, if it's all right with you, Thomas," Earham said.

"Of course. He seems really into that book series, doesn't he, although I haven't heard him doing any countdowns to the next book lately," Thomas mused.

"That's because nobody knows. There's a temporary hiatus," Corey explained.

"How many packs, sir?" the boy at the counter asked.

"Five will do nicely," Singh said, taking out some coins.

"And who are you?" Augustus asked, wondering if the boy might be one of Corey's.

"I'm Hadrian," he explained. Augustus looked quite amused by that.

"Hadrian is one of our volunteers from St. Mungo's children's program," Corey explained.

"Hoping to get adopted, are we?" Augustus said.

"Not really," Hadrian shrugged. "I just knew they had to foster me in Hogsmeade if I volunteered to help out, and I'd get to switch out of Prince's Wand and go to school up here. Besides, I'm too old to get adopted, and with any luck I'll be in Hogwarts next year. I'm just here to help the younger children get placed. Have you seen Delaina? She's much younger, well behaved, and has a pretty face. I should think someone would want to adopt her, so if you're looking, I'd come back later this afternoon to meet her."

Augustus blinked.

"Are you out of your head, boy? No child would want to be with an old devil like me, I'm simply here visiting relation. Besides, rearing children is for the young," Augustus scoffed indignantly.

"Tell that to Professor Snape," Hadrian said boldly.

"Professor Snape is just feeding the addiction that is my daughter," Thomas admitted dryly. "Thank you, we'll be going now."

"Thanks, Earham. Have a good afternoon, Grandfather," Corey said, and then turned back to his work.

"Leu," Dasher whispered, making a play at checking over Leu's list. "Was there something strikingly odd about that dark human? I mean the one that bought the cards. When we were up there, it almost smelled like he was…well…"

"Like he was a goblin?" Leu finished knowingly, Dasher looking surprised. "Well, he is, he's a goblin named Earsinge. He just takes a human appearance any time he's dealing with humans."

"How? Why?" Dasher said.

"Well, I'm not quite sure how, exactly, but I suspect it is so he can fit in. Lucky told me that he was adopted by humans as a baby when none of the goblins wanted him because he could do wizard magic," Leu explained. "He's still some sort of outcast because of it all, so he lives in Hogsmeade."

"There must be something missing in that story," Dasher decided. "I mean, nobody really seemed to mind when Mr. Willowby took my brother and I as apprentices, not even the bank, and we have to use spells with that."

"Goblins have always had a knack for manipulating physical magic, that's why Myrkinbrek is so famous for quality items. Really, I don't understand why it's all that big of a deal either," Leu admitted, and then glanced down at his list. "Is there anything else left to do on the other side?"

"No, I think we're done," Dasher decided, and the two of them waited until Corey was free and held out the list.

"No! No, don't you dare give that thing to me," Corey protested with a chuckle. "Dasher, why don't you run that to the main tent real quick? If your father comes to get you, I'll let him know you'll be right back."

"I'll hurry," Dasher decided, and took off out of sight.

"You'd better head out too, Leu, it's almost lunch time. Here, why don't you take these with you?" Corey suggested, handing out a couple of tickets.

"What? Oh, no thanks, I'm not working for that!" Leu protested immediately.

"I never said you were. I just happen to have these and I can't go, and it'd be a waste if they didn't get used. It's up to you of course, I'll just tear them up if you like, although it'd be like throwing money away…" Corey said and made a move to rip them, immediately getting stopped.

"Fine, I'll find someone who can use them then," Leu decided evenly. Shrugging, Corey handed them over with a smile.

"Have fun, Leu! And don't be so serious all the time!" Corey said with exasperation before turning his attention back to his other helpers and their customers.

Leu wandered over to the students' table long enough to grab a sandwich before walking out the back of the Pitch and towards the pens. The grassy area in between was being used as a training grounds for the mounts, and students often used their lunchtimes to do their required daily chores to help care for them. As expected, he found Noah by his mount. It was on a tether at the moment along with several other mounts; learning, it seemed, how to move its hooves in a complicated pattern while hovering in air. Beside him with a hand on the Thestral's side stood Nearly Headless Nick, who was lecturing Noah on the merits of the English saddle.

"Hey Leu! How about a trade? Share half your sandwich and I'll share my bench!" called out a girl's voice. Leu realized it was Amy, staring at her with such a bewildered expression that she winked at him. Leu turned bright red. "Come on, you shouldn't eat standing up anyway."

"Fine. Are you sure you don't want me to get you one of your own?" Leu suggested, reluctantly handing her half.

"No, I already tried that tactic with someone, and he didn't come back," Amy admitted with a chuckle, scooting over so he could sit down. There were several benches near the fields, but all of them were full, so Leu sat beside her, a little uncomfortable.

"Who was it that didn't come back?" Leu asked.

"Oh, Chuck Willowby. He's _so_ unreliable! He reminds me of my mother's guide while we were traveling in Jordan studying Nabataean writings and stuff. I swear he never was around when you needed him, and the moment we'd get on site he'd disappear the moment you turned your back on him," Amy said with exasperation.

"I hope she didn't give him full wages then, if he did that sort of shoddy work," Leu said.

"I suppose she wouldn't have if we hadn't been guests of another university and all that, we were just there to get some rubbings, you see, although I did think Petra had some rather grandiose architecture. In some ways that can be problematic, of course, with all the tourists and all of that," she said, rolling her eyes. "Can't exactly bring out a wand to double check for wards and things if there are all sorts of people you don't know around."

"That's one problem I never ran into underwater," Leu said.

"It's probably just as well. I could imagine the surprise if anybody did find you down there," Amy grinned.

"Hey! That's my seat! Move it, Unc," Chuck said irritably as he came up with a couple of sack lunches.

"You're late," Amy accused him.

"It isn't my fault! Snape chased me down and started grilling me about whether or not I had all my homework done. He hasn't giving me room to breathe in weeks," Chuck complained.

"And yet you still manage to get into trouble somehow," Leu observed.

"Now you sound just like him," Chuck complained and forced his way between them, sitting down and handing her one of the sacks. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"Chuck, be polite," Amy scolded him. "He was keeping me company because you were late."

"I already told you why I was late," Chuck grumbled.

"It's all right. I need to go check on Noah anyway," Leu said, getting up. "Maybe you can tell me about your trip to Jordan next time."

"Sure! Any time," Amy said with such enthusiasm that Chuck gave her a dirty look as Leu walked towards the mounts.

No snow had survived the constant beating of the mounts, leaving the ground wet and muddy. He was carefully avoiding a half-frozen puddle when Leu heard his named called and realized that Noah had noticed him.

"Ah hallo, there, Llewellyn," Nearly Headless Nick said as he walked over to them. "Do you do a bit of riding yourself?"

"Not really. I haven't been on a horse since I was three or four," Leu admitted. "So how's practice going?"

"Fairly productive, I'd say. Sir Nicholas knows a great deal about training mounts," Noah said gratefully.

"I might as well pass it on. I'd like to think that someone could get some use out of my experience," Nick said wistfully. "It certainly hasn't gotten me any closer to participating in the Headless Hunt."

"Well, two can play at that game, I'd say. You could always hold a hunt for those ghosts who have heads and exclude them for a change," Leu suggested. Nick's eyes went wide.

"What an idea! Rather preposterous, really, and at the same time… I wonder if it might work? Such a pity that I really don't have time to organize something like that, or I think I would… but Professor Dusthorn needs me to stay alert, so I really cannot possibly arrange it right now," Nick said.

"Stay alert? Do you mean in case the gargoyles start moving themselves again?" Leu asked.

"Um… sort of," Nick said distractedly, looking around. "I probably should be going back to the castle. It looks like it's going to snow again, you know," he added. Leu turned to face him in bewilderment as he began to walk off, but by the time he looked, Nick had already faded away.

"Sort of? What do you suppose that means?" Leu asked.

"I don't know. We mainly just talked about Shadow when he was over here," Noah said, dismounting.

"And since when do ghosts care whether or not it's going to snow?" Leu added, glancing at the grey clouds dimming the sky.

"Well, it may not effect us, but it does effect humans around us that we care about, like you, for example," Noah explained.

"Me?" Leu said in surprise.

"Yeah, you're my best mate. I don't want you getting a cold or anything. Come to think of it, I don't want Shadow getting a cold either, so I think I'll take him back to his stall," Noah decided.

"Do you want to go to the Chaserball match? I have tickets," Leu explained.

"That isn't for another hour or so, right? Fine. But until then, why don't you go inside for a bit? Your coloring is a bit off."

"My coloring?" Leu repeated in surprise as Noah led Shadow away.

Frowning, Leu reluctantly wandered back through the crowds and went to the library, deciding that the Owl Room was as good a refuge and any, and it had the added benefit of the duty board, where he could study the upcoming games.

He was very much expecting to come into an empty room, but much to his surprise, Maurice was sitting at the table with several books nearby, including his Potions, Herbology, and a book on components.

"What are you doing here? I thought your father was here today," Leu questioned curiously.

"He's here every weekend," Maurice pointed out, finishing his note. "But I have some an important assignment due in Potions on Monday, and I'm not about to go out there and face my sister until I have it done. I have a family obligation to stay at the head of all my classes, but most especially my sister's. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Leu said solemnly. Maurice nodded.

"I thought you would. But what are you doing here?" Maurice asked.

"Noah thought I ought to come in and warm up. He said my coloring was off," Leu explained, going over the board.

"The only one whose coloring is off is his," Maurice said, glancing at his work with a frown. "I wonder what he's up to?"

"Up to? I don't think he was doing anything but taking Shadow back to the barn. He was working on his dressage routine," Leu explained. "What makes you think Noah is up to anything?"

"All of the ghosts in the castle with very high sentience have been behaving quite oddly of late, and in some ways Noah is one of the most sentient," Maurice said seriously.

"Well, I haven't noticed anything odd and he's my mate, after all. He just wants to be a student and learn magic," Leu said.

"And as a second year student of magic, he would have known that all you had to do if you were feeling cold was wave your wand," Maurice pointed out.

"I suppose, although that's not the same as getting out of the wind for a bit, is it? And really, I did want to check the board and get a drink, and I am going back out in a minute. We're going to the Chaserball game," Leu said.

"Yes, so am I… practically all of the Owls will be there, I should say, considering we have members playing on both teams," Maurice said, checking his watch.

"Garvan is wicked fast on a broom, isn't he? So is Starling," Leu commented.

"Very true, although neither compare to Alicia or Harry Potter when they were in school," Maurice said, turning back to his book. "Even so, Gryffindor's going to be hard pressed to get the Quaffle at all during this match, I'm afraid."

The door to Boulderdash's office opened and he strode in, a young goblin peering in behind him but staying out of the room.

"Misplaced my spectacles," he grunted.

"I believe they're on your worktable, Librarian Boulderdash," Maurice said.

Leu waved to Dasher, who quickly waved back, as if hoping that the librarian missed the exchange.

"Met, have you?" Boulderdash said, finding his spectacles and putting them on.

"Murphy helped me with inventory today," Dasher explained.

"I thought you were meeting your father for lunch?" Leu said.

"I am right now, of course!" Dasher said with surprise.

"But isn't he your uncle?" Leu asked.

"No, he's my brother's uncle," Dasher explained. Leu only had time to furrow his brows before Boulderdash cleared his throat.

"Back inside, Dasher," he said warningly.

"But now I'm so confused!" Leu protested. "I thought Sprinter was your twin?"

"Let's just say it was less complicated this way and leave it at that," Boulderdash snarled before stepping back into the office and closing the door.

"That explained a lot, didn't it?" Maurice smirked, putting away his books. "Come on, let's go find our seats for Chaserball."

"And I thought Harriet and Kaylynn's relationship was confusing," Leu said, Maurice chuckling at the reference to Hope's best friends.

In fact, Hope was sitting in the front row stands with Harriett and the two girls' mothers, chatting excitedly about the games while sipping cups of hot spiced apple and pumpkin cider. Chuck was much less enthusiastically sitting with his mother and two younger siblings, Amber and Destiny. Destiny didn't stay in her seat very long. She was too busy thinking up silly faces to show to Quintin, who was leaning over Andrew's shoulder to see her.

"There's Hinge and Keir Box over there, Leu, let's sit with them," Maurice suggested.

"Sure, as long as there is an extra seat for Noah too," Leu insisted.

"I'd be surprised if Noah came to this one, free ticket or not," Maurice admitted, and Leu frowned. Why did Maurice keep insisting that Noah was involved?

"About time you got here. I had several people trying to sit down with us, you know," Cain complained.

"I didn't know you were coming too, Leu. I thought you were working," Keir said.

"Finished inventory early," Leu explained. "I suppose the Slytherin team is as good as Maurice has been telling me?"

"Well, yes, but they are going in at a slight disadvantage, considering they played their first match a few days ago and have to play again already," Keir said.

"True, but they also won, so that might give them momentum from the start," Cain decided.

"There is also the disadvantage of simply playing Gryffindor. I doubt Garvan will be able to perform is best today," Maurice ventured.

"Oh yeah. The crush," Cain said, debating it.

"What crush?" Leu asked, but then looked up as Gryffindor did its fly by. Natalie waved at her mother, brother and sisters, sitting just a few rows above them. Her friends Emily and James were also there along with a couple of seventh year boys and a sixth year that Leu didn't know and Kaylynn bringing up the rear. A few minutes later came the Slytherin team, and Leu was somewhat surprised to see that Max Starling was on the lead broom as captain, while just behind him was Garvan and several others that Leu recognized from Quidditch and one from the relay preliminaries.

"That looks like one fast team," Leu commented.

"Fastest team usually wins in Chaserball," Cain agreed, then turned his attention to the pitch as Madame Brittle tipped the Quaffle off. It was Natalie who snatched the ball just before it could reach Garvan's hands and zoomed towards the rings, but Slytherin wasn't about that slight disadvantage hold them back. They began spacing themselves out in a very practiced formation, in easy passing range from each other, while Gryffindor simply decided to treat it like a typical neighborhood game at the broom park and cheered each other on as they got the first goal.

"It won't last. They're too disorganized, and they almost got a travel charge back there for carrying the ball too long," Cain commented, folding his arms.

"Dalance is in top form, though," Leu decided, and the others looked over at the other side of the pitch.

Derry Dalance, captain of the Gryffindor's Chaser team, was pushing his broom to the limits to keep up with Max, but his skill with a broom helped make up for it by dodging in and out of the group and creating opportunities for his top carriers to throw to him so he could pass it back or on to his fastest teammates. Natalie was his favorite to throw to, only passing to others when she was boxed in, but that still gave Emily and Harriet their share of time with the Quaffle. Clever plays and Dalance's leadership were helping to keep the scores close despite the dominance in speed by the Slytherin team, and Maurice couldn't help but marvel at it. Helena, acting as Keeper, finally had enough, shouting something at Max and Garvan before throwing the Quaffle over at them. Immediately the two of them changed to a daring back and forth zigzag pattern that was hard for the other team to keep up with and Slytherin's scores began to pull away.

All of the sudden, there was a clashing of brooms as one of the members of the Gryffindor team pulled up, followed by a moment of confusion as both the crowd and some of those in the game as several team members ended up in a cluster.

"SCREEEECH!"

Leu covered his ears in surprise and pain, turning to find himself staring at a Welsh Green… a young male, Leu guessed, feeling a little surreal at seeing the dragon hovering there so unexpectedly over the Pitch. But while he and the rest of the crowd was still stunned from the sight of it, the teams on the Pitch were beginning to recover from their own initial reaction… just as a strange flash of light burst above them.

Garvan Gamban wasn't sure if the light was from a spell that hadn't hit its mark or if it was an intentional flash, but he was certain that it was likely to irritate to dragon hovering in front of them. Instinctively, he hopped out of the pack and over to where Natalie had been hovering with the ball still clutched in one hand, pulling her away from the initial flash and the smoke that came out of the nostrils of the dragon.

"Get down, you idiots!" Derry barked out. He raced towards the dragon even as most of them raced away from it, attempting to stun it with a spell to buy some time for the others. But the dragon almost immediately began to blink to clear its distorted vision, and it was after only a second or two that the Welsh let out another irritated screech and let out its fiery breath.

At the last moment, Derry was jerked off his broom by the collar of his shirt and pulled out of the way as a jet of fire scorched the field. He felt strange pressure behind him and realized a pair of wings had appeared on his back, helping him glide to the ground. In amazement, he looked up and saw that a lone figure on a broom hovered in front of the dragon. It was Commander Bellamy, facing off with his quarry as calm and collected as someone who fought dragons on the Quidditch Pitch every day.

Bellamy darted back and forth with a skill few professional Quidditch players had, intentionally directing the Green to look up, its fire breath averted away from both the crowd and the team. A cone of frost came out of the tip of Bellamy's wand, aimed at the creature's wings. The dragon paused its attack, twisting and trying to flap harder to shake off the frost trying to gather on them.

"Good job, Commander!" someone shouted, and Bellamy risked a quick glance to see several members of the Magical Creatures Ministry on student brooms, including Charlie Weasley on Helena's broom. "Let's see if we can get it out of here without harming it!"

"What's that over there?" one of the assistants asked suddenly, and Charlie looked over in surprise as another winged creature had appeared, heading for the stands.

"A large gargoyle," Charlie decided, and then noticed a bright red flare going off above the stands. "Not our business! Back to work!"

"Well, it is mine! Carry on," Bellamy declared and soared over to the stands to see that the lake gargoyle was sitting in the middle of the stands in a strange position but dormant again, while the excited crowd was standing well away from it, talking and even arguing with each other. Near the gargoyle, his tall figure somewhat dwarfed by the lake gargoyle's presence, was Andrew Snape, who was currently wearing a pair of gold spectacles similar to his father's. In fact, had he been ten years older and had darker hair he might have been his double, especially now with his furrowed brows and irritated expression.

"He was wearing a coat," one of the wizards said distinctly out of the rumble.

"Of course he was, in this weather!" a witch said with exasperation.

"I meant a gentleman's coat, over formal robes… I think."

"A medium build, and general sort of face, I suppose… honestly, I didn't get a good look at him."

"Apparently nobody got a good look at him," Andrew snapped.

"Never mind that! The poor man got attacked by this thing, and it could have been anyone!" barked out another wizard.

"The gargoyle wouldn't have attacked a spectator without a reason, Mr. Price. Did anyone see a wand out?" Andrew asked.

"No, and I think I would have noticed sitting behind him. How would anyone sneak a wand in here anyway?"

"Perhaps a mirror or some other type of summoning device," said a voice so close to Bellamy's hovering broom that it leapt a foot higher in surprise. He squinted suspiciously. It sounded very much like Professor Craw… "And if it was a mirror they may have noticed it in the stands opposite these. Commander Bellamy, can you make certain the pitch is secure and start questioning spectators in the other stands?" asked Craw's voice. "And Andrew, I want you to get a list of everyone here. Perhaps Deputy Headmaster Weasley can go through the ticket list and help us figure out who the gargoyle was after."

"Yes, Mum," Andrew said.

"Ah, yes, Professor," Bellamy said, turning his broom around. As he flew back over the pitch, he noticed Professor Weasley with the teams gathered around and several excited parents. Deciding she had it handled, Professor Bellamy gave her a wave and flew to the opposite stands.

Hermione waved back in acknowledgement, taking in the investigations going on and glanced down the far side of the pitch where Charlie and his assistants had managed to get the Welsh Green caged.

"It's much too soon to say that any person caused the Green to wander in, Liam. The weather did turn quite suddenly this year, and it may simply have been blown off course from that recent storm we had. There are plenty of places in those mountains that a dragon might seek shelter in," Hermione said.

"True, but that wouldn't explain why it'd come down here, especially with this much of a crowd, and made up of wizards, no less," Peter Gamban snapped. "As reclusive as dragons are, it makes no sense! I think someone is trying to sabotage these games, Professor. Perhaps you ought to call the whole thing off right now before someone gets hurt. My Garvan and the Dalance boy could have been killed!"

"I'm afraid that charging in where others fear to tread is a family trait," Eric admitted, quite calm as if to compensate for Peter's reaction. "It's a good thing that Commander Bellamy has such quick reflexes or perhaps you would be right. Further proof that the Headmaster knows when he's doing when it comes to picking his staff, I suppose."

"And just where is the Headmaster?" Peter asked, glancing over at where Natalie was standing with her parents, brother and sisters.

"Like the rest of us, he's following Hogwarts current security procedures, and I'm afraid I can't tell you more than that," Hermione explained, then noticed a flutter of wings. A small finch landed on her shoulder, twittering curiously. "I also would appreciate it if you'd step inside the Quidditch gates if you want to visit the teams. I need to find out how things are going and how many events I'm going to have to reschedule. Excuse me a moment."

"I don't know why you're making such a fuss," said Abraxus Coventry quietly, stepping up beside him. "It isn't as if anyone were targeting Garvan, is it?"

"I won't have my son put in danger, intentional or not," Peter growled. "If they won't cancel, I'll have no choice but to withdrawal him from the games."

"But… it's rather a waste, considering Slytherin was expected to win at Chaser Ball," Abraxus mused, glancing over at where Garvan and Natalie were talking. "And what of Quidditch? I rather think his grandfather will be upset if you tried to pull him out of that."

"His grandfather is on the run, as you perfectly well know," Peter said icily. "And that is just another valid reason to be cautious." Abraxus didn't comment any further, allowing Peter to step away and escort his son inside.

The moment all of the students were in and the rest were encouraged to head to the Pavilions, Hermione dashed up to her office and went through her lists, sifting through them quickly until she found the one she wanted, reading through it carefully with a frown before putting it back. She then glanced at a chessboard on the side table across from her bookshelf.

"Is Professor Craw back in the castle yet, Demura?" Hermione asked.

"I believe she and Professor Andrew are busy securing the gargoyle in the lower dungeons, Professor Weasley," the painting answered.

Hermione rolled up the list and hurried down the stairs, her thoughts going back many years ago when Draco and Harry had the argument that had inspired Severus to lock them up down there. She grinned slightly but caught herself. At times like these, she had to stay focused, she reminded herself, opening the heavy door just to the other side of where the new tunnel was going in.

The second dungeons were a rather damp set of rooms on the way to the cistern with walls made of the same large stones that lined most of the underground sections of the castle. It was, however, very brightly let up, as Jennifer attempted to concentrate on her tests on the gargoyle and ignore the occasional drops of water coming from condensation from the ceiling. An invisibility cloak was flung over her shoulder, no longer of any importance except to stay out of the way, while Andrew helped by acting both as a spotter and as a door guard to make certain it didn't close all the way.

"Well, I don't see any blood, if that's any consolation," Jennifer told Andrew. "And the security charms still seem to be in tact, despite the fact that I have never heard of any of the gargoyles of this castle attacking anyone before."

"So it's true? A spectator was attacked?" Hermione asked from the doorway.

"Yes, but nobody seems to know who it was! Andrew, let Hermione know which seat he may have been in. Perhaps she can tell us who bought the ticket," Jennifer said, continuing her work.

"I have the list here, actually, but if I'm right, this won't be enough to give us a name," Hermione sighed.

"Oh? Why is that?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"It's in one of the blocks bought by the Ministry… there aren't any names attached to those, they give them out at random, so it's going to take some digging to find out. What bothers me is the fact that he didn't stick around to show his outrage at being attacked," Hermione said.

"Even if he is guilty of something, we can't have our security gargoyles attacking at will, it looks like the school is taking justice into its own hands," Jennifer said. She stared at the gargoyle for a long time, pondering what to do. "I had better give Severus our first report. Andrew, I need you to try to create some sort of containment field in here that would keep this thing from leaving. Hermione, I don't suppose you'd be willing to check on the dragon and see if Charlie has any idea what caused it to come here?"

"And the games?" Hermione asked.

"Suspended until tomorrow. I doubt anyone would question it, since we have to clean up the scorched area and there were a couple of booths damaged, after all," Jennifer said. "Also, if you see Harry, ask him in. If anyone can get answers as to who was in those stands, it's Harry."

"That's for sure," Hermione agreed readily, going towards the front of the school while Jennifer went for the back stairs.

As Jennifer made it to the second landing, the chill that she had been feeling suddenly seemed to drift away. In fact, it left so suddenly that it caused her to stop and look around with a frown. She had discounted it while she was in the lower dungeon, for it was quite damp down there and she had been concentrating on her work so not to feel closed in. But the timing of it leaving seemed wrong; the back stairwell was always chill and drafty in the winter, but it was decidedly better than it had been just a moment ago. Perhaps a ghost had been following her, she thought, continuing on her way.

Professor Rogue gazed at her distracted face for only a moment before opening the study for her. She slipped up the spiral stairs to see Severus up on the upper deck with the telescope swung around in a curious direction.

"I'm here, Severus," Jennifer announced, glancing into the nursery. Rasputin and Descartes were both on guard while Quintin made use of his play area. "Are you inspecting the Quidditch Pitch?"

"I'm playing back what happened in and near the Pitch when the dragon arrived. I'm glad I thought to set this thing up before I left," Severus said, still looking through the lens.

"That's strange. I could have sworn that I was the one who suggested using the recorder charm… after you complained how hard it was to sneak in behind yourself with the Time Turner," Jennifer reminded him.

"Perhaps you mentioned it once, but I'm the one that thought of it on this occasion. Anyway, I have noticed something interesting in that the dragon didn't seem motivated by anyone in the stands. Rather, he seemed to be attracted either to something on the grounds or something the students had on them or were wearing. I just asked Armando to have the House Elves gather up all the students' uniforms and equipment and run some tests on them. Did you find out what set the gargoyle off?" he asked.

"We're not even sure who exactly it was after, but we're working on it."

"And the gargoyle?"

"We have it contained in the lower dungeon at the moment," Jennifer said. "If only the people around had seen what happened, it'd have been more useful, but most of them were concentrating on the game and the students rather than paying attention to who was sitting around them, and then the dragon happened just before the gargoyle landed so none of them noticed anything except for the gargoyle trying to take a swipe at a wizard and no one seems to know why."

"Perhaps we should ask the Rowena statue," Severus suggested, locking the telescope back in place.

"What? Oh no, you're serious, aren't you? She hasn't been helpful so far, Severus," Jennifer pointed out with exasperation.

"Perhaps, but not for a lack of trying," Severus decided. "She may be answering with riddles, but she is answering. Unfortunately, I also think she's giving different pieces of information to different people, and some of that has been given to certain individuals who have no patience or talent for discerning the answers, which further complicates the problem." Jennifer began to nod but then stopped and blinked.

"Were you referring to me?" she asked flatly.

"One of the things I've noticed since you started coming to my Ancient Magic class, Jennifer, is that you struggle with comprehending any spoken word unless the speaker is looking at you directly. You have to see the words… it must be written down already or you must have face-to-face contact, otherwise you tend to lose bits of information. Is that not so?" Severus asked.

"I rather think you've always known that, Severus," Jennifer sighed at him.

"I have, although not in the same light. Your emotions often get in the way of your understanding as well, although I think that simply keeps you from truly being able to concentrate on what is said and thus further limiting your comprehension," he explained, Jennifer growing more annoyed with every word. "That is also why it is that despite your intellect and brilliant reasoning in typical situations, you have such trouble comprehending obscure riddles from a statue who can offer no thoughts for you to discern their intent. You remember getting frustrated when the Rowena statue 'started spouting off the parts of a tree' as you put it, but don't remember any detail, nuances, or rhyme involved."

"Shall I break out the Pensieve for you? Perhaps you'll find some other character flaws of mine that you'd like to expose," Jennifer challenged him in a dangerous tone.

"No need, I'm well past that riddle," Severus said distractedly, glancing at the paintings on the wall. He was not surprised to see that Caprica was hanging out in one of them. "I don't suppose you know where the Rowena statue is this time?"

"I don't think she's inside the castle," Caprica said evenly.

"She must be still on the pitch, Severus," Jennifer said. "But I really don't think we're safe out there, considering we don't know who or what set the gargoyle off…"

"Fine, give me the cloak. I'm afraid you're the one who'll need to stay and monitor this time," he said, and she handed him his Invisibility Cloak. "I'm sure you have plenty of work to keep yourself occupied."

"Marking your last items project comes to mind, for some reason," Jennifer threatened.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Severus said, ignoring the comment altogether as he donned the cloak and slipped out the Doorlift.

"Armando, are all the students accounted for at this point?" Jennifer asked, walking over to the desk and opening the drawer.

"For the most part, Professor. They are all in the castle, but a handful are in or near the library instead of their rooms," Armando said.

"Well, it is still early… as long as Librarian Boulderdash is there, I don't mind if they take refuge in the library," Jennifer decided, opening up the map. "Although I do wonder why Severus went in that direction," she added to herself, squinting at the map. Just then there was a knock on the nursery door. Jennifer looked up in surprise, but relaxed when she saw it was Icarus.

"Might I visit with Quintin for awhile?" Icarus asked.

"Oh, um… yes, of course, as long as you stay in the nursery. We're still operating on high security rules, you know," Jennifer reminded him, then went back to the map.

"Yes, I do know," Icarus said, unconcerned with the quick reply and dismissal, hovering back into the nursery to find Quintin's arms already up. Icarus picked him up, and watched as Quintin attempted to take advantage of his apparent weightlessness. "I hope you will be a good boy and stay in your room today," he murmured to the baby quietly. "We can't have you straying about right now, not until we found out who is trying to sabotage the games. Why do you keep wandering off? You've been well looked after lately, especially with us ghosts looking in on you as well."

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin explained, twisting around oddly as if trying to reach something and having an awkward time of it.

"Is this what you want?" Icarus asked, handing him his milk cup. "Come, I'll help you with your block tower. There is enough going on in this castle without you adding to the mix."


	18. Splinters

Chapter Eighteen

Splinters

By the time the Headmaster returned to the Quidditch Pitch, only a few outsiders remained, and all of them seemed to be lingering for a legitimate reason. Corey was the first one he noticed; helping Tassels and Panning put up their tent while Sirius sat on a box near the Mungo's booth, talking to them from a distance while fiddling with something in his hand. On the far side of the pitch, two former students… assistants from the Magical Creatures Ministry… took measurements of prints and other marks left by the dragon while chatting distractedly about other things.

At least none of them seemed panicked or even concerned. That was bound to come in the morning in his appointments or at the Pavilions newspaper stand, Severus thought in irritation, trying to focus in on any strange shapes in the stands or boxes. He frowned when he didn't notice any, and began checking all of the exits until finally he spied a statue at the base of the Ravenclaw box. Had anyone simply passed it just then, the statue would have seemed quite ordinary… if not extraordinary in detail… poised with her hands in front of her with a willow wand and a serene expression on her face.

"What manner of matter approaches?" the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw inquired in a clear, calm voice.

"It is the Headmaster," Severus declared, wondering if he was going to have to come out of invisibility to quiet her.

"Then you are an animal," Rowena decided. Severus found himself debating it. "Did you wish to hear my riddle?"

"Yes, but I will provide the category, if you don't mind," Severus said. "Such as who was behind that dragon business this afternoon, and what was the lake gargoyle doing attacking someone in the stands?" The statues head tilted slightly.

"Did you wish to hear my riddle?" she asked again. Severus frowned, wondering if his question had been too complex.

"Fine. Continue," Severus said.

"If all things are considered equal, what would one get if one crossed a horse with a bullock?" Rowena asked. After a short silence, Severus groaned.

"What would possess Equinox to try something now… especially after last year!" he snarled, but the statue simply gazed expressionlessly at him. "It is too unwise and illogical a move for Bagman to be behind it, not to mention the fact that Garvan was on team and our schedules are posted everywhere. Anyone loyal to him would know better than to even try it. This is some sort of independent movement… Bagman's absence from the command structure may have given some of them a carte blanche as far as their duties are concerned and therefore someone is breaking ranks… and whoever is doing it is apparently not afraid to put Bagman's grandson in the line of fire," Severus concluded thoughtfully. "Still, from their point of view, I'm sure we're seen as a more vulnerable opponent compared to Bagman. But what could they possibly gain from an attempt to undermine our security?" he asked. Rowena simply smiled stonily at him. "Never mind, Rowena, I know you're helping as best as you can. Why don't you guard the main Quidditch gates into the castle? Perhaps you can discourage students from attempting to sneak out that way."

"As you wish, Headmaster," Rowena said cordially. The statue seemed to turn into dark sand and suddenly collapsed, disappearing into the soil.

Suddenly a broom dove into view, swirling up dust eddies as it came to a sharp stop right before it reached the ground. Commander Bellamy stared at the spot he had last seen the statue, more than a little amazed when he had seen the shadow melt into the ground from above.

"Craters and Candles, what in bloody …"

"Do you always talk so colorfully when there are no students around?" the Headmaster's voice asked. It was so close to where Bellamy was hovering that he nearly broke the broom attempting to swing around and face where he had heard it. "It's all right, Ace. I moved the statue myself."

"Your pardon, sir, but why are you stalking about unseen? I could have landed on you by mistake…" Ace asked, flustered.

"Then you would have quickly realized I was there, I suppose," Severus reasoned. "I moved the Ravenclaw statue to the gates, in hopes of discouraging any more students trying to sneak out that way while you or any of the other security team members are out on patrol. Let me know if she moves again."

"Of course, Professor Snape… but if I may… do they all move like that? I assumed that all of the gargoyles were moving by wings, or perhaps by legs. But if they all can move like that…"

"No, only the four founder statues can; she is simply the only one of them that has been doing so recently. Besides, all four of those statues are on bases. How did you expect them to move about? Hop?" Severus sneered, but Bellamy squinted.

"Why is it she is the only one of them moving?" Bellamy wondered out loud.

"I have a couple of theories on that one," Severus replied distantly. "The first being that it is because she is the only one out of the four who has ever been displaced from her intended guarding location, and therefore is more prone to the impulses being experienced by the other gargoyles. The other theory is that for some reason the other three statues have chosen to stay out of things." Bellamy blinked.

"Professor, have you not told Andrew and myself on several occasions that statues and gargoyles do not have minds of their own?" Bellamy pointed out.

"No, but their charms may mimic it at times, charm though it is. Even so, our priority is to find the individuals responsible for that dragon… and I am also no longer convinced that incident with that Fishertrap plant was simply a case of bad timing," he said in a low voice.

"I also wouldn't rule out a student playing a nasty prank, sir, for the Fishertrap is something easily any upper classman could do if they have the nerve. With every large crowd come many opportunities to gum up the works no matter how tight security is, sir, and students have more liberties on the grounds than those visiting do," Bellamy pointed out.

"A sound point, perhaps, but we can discuss that tomorrow. It looks as if it's getting ready to snow," Severus observed.

"A bit of snow never hurt anyone, sir," Bellamy scoffed. "Although I did catch a cold in Sibera once, during a long winter campaign…"

"Thank you, Ace," Severus quickly cut him off, walking away without even a footprint to betray his being there. In fact, Bellamy cautiously stretched with his hands to make double certain that the headmaster was no longer near him before daring to take up his broom again.

Severus returned to find his study empty and the lights turned dim in Quintin's room, for he was already nestled in for the night. Severus pondered calling it a day as well, but a part of his conversation with Bellamy was weighing on him and he sat down distractedly in the high-backed chair, frowning at the chessboard critically.

* * *

><p>When Leu woke up the next morning, everything in the room seemed unusually quiet, as if the entire world had been suspended in time. He uncovered his head and looked around drowsily, Copper croaked once in greeting. Cautiously, he reached his legs down until they made contact with his bed slippers. His robe was definitely next, for the air was biting, then he curiously made his way over to his window and peered out. It was snowing heavily, and it must have done so for the majority of the evening, for everything he saw was blanketed with a deep layer of snow. Even the lake itself looked quite frozen and white, and there was little sign of life other than the talon marks printed on other windowsills from owls and other flying familiars. Leu brushed off his own windowsill critically then closed the window again, turning around and hurrying over to the other bed to find the blankets dangling around Noah, who was curled up and hovering over the mattress.<p>

"Noah, wake up! You should see all the snow!" Leu said. Noah groaned and rolled over, the blankets falling completely.

"I've seen snow before. It doesn't bother me. Why don't you go back to sleep? That's what weekends are for, anyway," Noah suggested.

"It's too quiet to sleep," Leu explained solemnly.

"It isn't quiet with you talking all the time," Noah complained.

"Ghosts don't need to sleep anyway, silly."

"But I was so comfortable!" Noah protested loudly as Leu thwarted his attempts at getting his blankets back.

"I love the snow, and how it seems to muffle everything when there's a lot of it," Leu went on. "So I suppose I understand why you'd want to sleep. I need to go to the bathroom."

"You know where it is," Noah said, finally succeeding in retrieving his blankets and sinking quite literally into the bed.

"Come on, Copper, we'll have to check on him later," Leu said. "I really want to know how this snow is going to affect the event schedule." Copper croaked enthusiastically and allowed herself to be put in his pocket, her nose peering out as he hurried down the stairs to the common room and glanced at the board. Frowning at the list of events suspended until spring and at the tentative schedule, Leu went downstairs.

Peering in the Great Hall, he noticed it was unusually full for that early on a Sunday morning as curious students waited to hear what would happen next. But at the main table sat only Andrew, looking much more interested in his plate than in making any announcements.

It was not a difficult decision to go into the Owl Room instead, for if nothing else, the volunteer board in there would likely be more up to date than anywhere else. Sure enough, when he got in the door, he saw a place to sign up for the Sparring preliminaries that very evening, as well as the fact that a practice session had been set up during the weekdays for Wizard Chess, Wizard Go, Wizards of MC, Ceiling Dance, and the Familiar Obstacle Course.

"Copper? Do you want to compete in the familiar obstacle course?" Leu asked. Copper croaked enthusiastically.

"What? Oh, hullo! There you are, stalking about near the door!" Keir exclaimed, leaning over to see past a medium-sized cauldron sitting in the center of the table. "You could at least say good morning or something. Do you know how to play this?" he asked, showing him his MC card deck.

"Sure, Maurice taught me. I'm using one of his old decks," Leu said. Keir grimaced at that. "Is this plain porridge?" he asked, peering in the cauldron.

"Yes, but there's a bowl of raisins and nuts over there if you want something to mix in it. You really ought to build your own deck, you know, especially if you're going to compete," Keir said.

"I'm not interested in competing, really. I'm not all that good at card games, but I don't mind playing you if you want the practice," Leu said.

"Well, eat first. I don't want to get my cards soiled, and you shouldn't either. They might be worth something someday, you know," Keir said.

"Have you seem Uncle Maurice yet this morning?" Leu asked.

"Still over at the Pavilions is my guess, but I hope they'll be back over soon. If anyone knows what that business was about with the dragon, it'll be him. Garvan stayed over with his father too, although I'm not sure he really wanted to. His father seemed right mad last night, but I must admit some of it seemed to be aimed at Professor Weasley and the staff," Keir commented.

"Why? It wasn't their fault a dragon got on the pitch," Leu said, mixing in a handful of raisins before walking back over.

"Maybe, but clearly that's not how he saw it. The papers weren't that kind about the incident either, really. The Daily Prophet interviewed several spectators who were worried that security wasn't what it should be for an event this size, and the Oracle said that the games was just a distraction so that Professor Snape could get even with his enemies and that the dragon was some sort of warning for him not to do so," Keir explained.

"That's a rather odd thing to say. The Professor would never go out of his way to go after someone like that, and he certainly wouldn't jeopardize the school for it, let alone take advantage of his position," Leu said solemnly.

"Well, maybe not now, I'll give you that. But from what my father told me, it wasn't always that way. Snape had a questionable reputation to say the least," Keir explained. "Did you know that?" Leu nodded slowly.

"Lucky told me about it just after I was adopted," Leu answered evenly. Keir nodded at that.

"There are a lot of people out there that remember all of that, you know… a lot of people who would go out of their way to remind him of it, both to try and demean who he is now and also to let him know they haven't gotten over it all. That's why every time anything happens here they're quick to jump in. Although, I really think that business with Mr. Gamban is something different. I think he's really worried about his father… Garvan's grandfather, I mean," Keir said in a low voice. "And he's worried about Garvan, especially after him charging that dragon like that. It makes a person want to swear off women when you see a chap acting that stupid, really…" Leu blinked.

"Did I miss something?" Leu asked.

"Hark! Who goes here?" Hope barked out, nearly causing Leu to drop his bowl onto his lap. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, pointing at them almost accusingly.

"What the hell sort of potions are you on, anyway?" Keir challenged her.

"None. I was born this way," Hope said proudly, then looked around. "All's clear!"

Natalie peered in anxiously, then sighed with exasperation and marched in.

"Damn! I was sure he'd be in here! I suppose he's sleeping in…."

"Would you make up your mind?" Hope pleaded with a scowl. "Five seconds ago, you were faint at the door because you were so afraid he was in here, now you're annoyed that he isn't. Really, how do you expect to get anywhere in life with an attitude like that?"

"Don't tell me you've now taken a fancy to him too!" Keir groaned. "Have you no sense at all? It must have something to do with lab fumes while pregnant or something. All the Willowbys are a bit on the barmy side."

"I understand now. You think Garvan flew out in front of that dragon to rescue Natalie because he has a crush on her," Leu concluded. His leg got kicked under the table. Natalie blushed bright red.

"Don't be silly! He would have done the same thing for anyone!" Natalie declared in protest.

"No, he wouldn't have. And have you forgotten who his grandfather is and the fact he wanted to kill your entire family? Not to mention his pudgy bottom and pug-dog puss. Honestly, as a Willowby you could do right better than that," Keir snorted.

"I thought you were his friend, Keir," Natalie snapped.

"Of course I am, which is why I'm going to advise him not to get mixed up with you as well. Someone with his family background needs a bird who is a bit more stable," Keir said. Natalie and Hope both made faces at him. "Are you signing up for any winter events?"

"The card tournament and sparring, of course," Hope said, getting her breakfast. "They're also planning to have the snow fort competition this weekend if it keeps snowing, and the Prophet says it will."

"That's why we're down here, actually," Natalie said. "You need four on each team, you see, and we were hoping to ask Garvan."

"We? You were going to make me do it," Hope accused her.

"I doubt he'd want to. Why don't you ask one of your regular mates, or maybe that Haven chap your brother chums around?" Keir suggested.

"Well, we will, if Garvan doesn't want to go," Natalie said. Keir glanced at Hope, who simply shrugged.

"We find it's easier just to humor her," Hope explained. "Are you practicing for the Meglomaniacs' Club tournament?"

"Yeah, but Leu isn't turning out to be much competition. He keeps hording his gold instead of spending it on Professor Pits and Teacher Traps," Keir complained. "I don't think he's even kept up with the series or he wouldn't be using Jeran as his avatar."

"Isn't he the one who kept ratting the club out to Professor Frumpet?" Hope said with disgust.

"I have no idea what either of you are talking about. I only know that out of the cards I have he has the most allowance and most school influence," Leu explained calmly.

"Yeah. Because he's got Frumpet in his back pocket," Keir said.

"Oh no, don't tell me the card competition is going to end up turning end-of-the-series speculations and trivia wars to see who's the bigger fan?" Natalie protested, glancing at the board. "I think I'm going to bow out of this one. I'm certainly not going to try to play under those conditions."

The door opened, and Maurice strode in with Garvan right on his heels, both of them quite somber.

"There you are, finally," Hope said accusingly. "I suppose you've been having a lovely morning, complete with a lie-in and a full four-course breakfast."

"Neither are true, unfortunately," Garvan said, pointedly helping himself to the porridge pot. "We've had a frightfully busy night, and morning as well."

"Well, we may have a frightfully busy weekend if the weather holds and they decide to hold the snow fort competition. Natalie, Chuck and I need a fourth. So are you in, then, Garvan?" Garvan nearly choked on his spoon, while Natalie looked even more interested in the duty board.

"Me? You want me? Why not Harriet or Kaylynn or one of your other mates?"

"And choose between them? Besides, we need someone with a killer instinct…"

"You already have that in spades," Garvan said dryly. "I still don't know why you'd ask me instead of Parker or someone."

"Oh, leave him be, Hope! It's obvious now he doesn't want to," Natalie snapped suddenly, looking down at the pencil in her hands while still turned facing the board.

"I… well, I didn't say that, exactly," Garvan blurted out, but then wasn't quite sure how to follow it up without sounding like a sap.

"Don't worry about my having a team, Garvan," Maurice said calmly as if to explain his friend's hesitation. "I think I'd be better off simply concentrating on the card tournament, so you're quite free to team up with my niece and her siblings as far as I'm concerned."

"Good, then it's settled. Garvan is with us," Hope agreed, while Garvan, after looking between them and then at Natalie, decided it was in his best interests just to concentrate on his breakfast.

"Now that that's out of the way, can we get back to talking about that dragon? Considering he tried to steam my niece, I'd think you'd consider that a bit more important." Maurice scolded them gently.

"Not to mention trying to hurt Garvan and Derry," Natalie added, quickly turning her attention back to the board when Garvan looked up.

"Exactly," Maurice agreed.

"Well, go on, then, since you seem to know something about it," Hope said impatiently. "Did they find out how it got onto the Pitch?"

"How was simply flying, obviously, since our normal magical barriers really aren't designed to repel dragons or other magical creatures… otherwise, we couldn't really have exotic polo, could we? As for why, it's because somehow someone got into the laundry room and scented the team uniforms with… well… a concentrated dose of female dragon's urine," Maurice explained.

"Ew…" Natalie said, shuddering and then letting out a sound of utter revulsion. "I think I'm going to go take another bath."

"It's actually not an uncommon mixture, used by wizards in the magical creatures field to lure young males back to preserves to keep them out of human sight and away from common flight paths. It's actually a part of their emergency kits in case they're called in to deal with a dragon citing. Kept in a communal closet along with a bunch of other supplies… in short, anyone who had anything to do with the Ministry could have gotten a hold of some. Getting into the laundry room is another thing. Only staff and students can get in there," Maurice explained. "And my brother-in-law is quite convinced that it was a student rather than staff, especially considering an affiliation to a certain order."

"Order? Don't tell me he thinks it's one of us!" Keir said in surprise.

"No, not our order. He thinks it may be a splinter group within the Order of Equinox."

"Equinox again!" Hope exclaimed with exasperation. She looked almost accusingly at Garvan, who was quite somber. "But that makes no sense! They were done for simply ages ago, and now that his grandfather is on the lam, they'd have no real reason to, would they?"

"Why is Equinox still even around? Didn't Merlin disband it ages ago?" Natalie added.

"Stop, stop, stop! I'm completely lost. Could we start from the beginning?" Keir pleaded. Leu nodded solemnly in agreement.

"All right. I admit it would do us no harm to go over all the facts," Maurice said, helping himself to a cup of hot spiced cider and sitting down. "I suppose the beginning would be well over a thousand years ago, just before the Enchanter went to the Otherworld. There had been some sort of fight between he and Lady Viviane which kept away from Arthur at a crucial moment, and he knew it'd be hundreds of years before the country would reach the same level of civilization again… and much, much, longer before those with magic and those without could find a peaceful balance together. So, he set into movement his little contingency plan; fathering four children to protect his lineage, forming the Sentinels to protect the four pieces of Callum's Seal and to guard the balance between the four magic types, and setting up two orders… namely, the order of Merlin, whose job it was to bring about changes within the society that would lead all humanity towards a more civilized form of government and attitude towards one another… and Equinox, whose primary job was to preserve the history of Arthur's time so that it wouldn't be forgotten, as well as to keep the Book of Merlin and other artifacts from Arthur's Britain safe until a time they would be needed again. But as the years went on, Equinox because less concerned about preserving Arthur's memory and much more about the gathering of artifacts. Part of that movement was understandable, I think, considering they had the Book of Merlin in their possession. Knowing how dangerous the book was, I'm sure they feared that there were a great number of other artifacts from that time period that was equally powerful and was afraid they would get into the wrong hands. At the same time, it also gave them access to immense power that no one else had. That fact, of course, attracted a lot of dark wizards to join, hungry for power and the enticing lure of being closer to these artifacts and the secrets they possessed.

"But just as the dark influences gained strength in Equinox, so too did the influences of light gain strength in the Order of Merlin… a perfect balance between them as they fought to shape the magical world's government, morality, and society. I believe that was quite intentional on Merlin's part; for Merlin with his own personal heritage had both influences on him, and he knew better than anyone that the balance between them was crucial if our world was to survive."

"So what you're saying is that Merlin had no problem with the fact that Equinox was getting filled up with dark wizards who used to murder, maim, and torture and using the order as their excuse for doing so?" Hope asked, disapproving of the idea.

"No, not at all. He considered it a "necessary evil." After all, he wanted to preserve dark magic just as much as he wanted to preserve the others. It had to be there… and the influence that Equinox had on dark magic over time is evident. Protecting artifacts, especially of a cursed or powerful nature, became an important part of every dark wizard's family lineage… including my own. In fact, there's a great deal of evidence that points to the fact that Malice Craw was one of Equinox's most influential leaders. As horrible as he was, he sculpted not only our family but helped sculpt the society we live in, both the good and the bad. So did Voldemort, for that matter," Maurice added seriously.

"But Voldemort wasn't in Equinox, was he?" Hope asked.

"No, but he didn't need to be, because his influence was already there," Maurice explained. "Nearly half the Death Eaters were members of Equinox… even my father had been asked to join at one point, but he turned it down since it would have too much of an impact on his excavation company. He did often sell to them, though, which was how Malfoy ended up getting in as a partner and destroying his business. But that's family history, really, and had nothing to do with the demise of the Equinox powerhouse. Voldemort did, though… because you see, the influence he exerted through the Death Eaters that were in Equinox pushed Equinox completely out of balance with Merlin. This is because Equinox stopped working for its own order's ideals… twisted as they had become… and began working solely to help Voldemort and his Death Eater's gain more power. Even after Voldemort's death, those who remained began to eat at Equinox from within to harvest as much of its power, knowledge, and even wealth, for no other reason than to further their own goals. It was then that Merlin returned and denounced the order, severing his ties to those that would use it for any other purpose than what he had intended it to be."

"So what?" Keir said, everyone gazing at him. "Well, no offense meant to the Enchanter or anything, but, other than telling them he wouldn't have anything to do with them anymore, it's not like he blew them to smithereens or put curses on them to stay away from each other or anything like that. He just stopped helping them. It didn't change the fact they were still there, did it?"

"Merlin thinks in eons, not in years. Any time Merlin cuts ties with anything, the effects are felt millennium afterwards, even if we might not notice it right away," Maurice reminded him. "Even so, there was definitely an immediate effect to that decision. The order split the order into two different groups. On one side, there was Balmweed and Coventry's Collection Society, which tried to expel the dark wizard element and simply concentrate on preserving and protecting dangerous artifacts. Of course, they haven't been entirely successful in that endeavor, but they were actually trying to be a legitimate order instead of simply "appearing" to be one. But that left a lot of old Equinox members out… dark wizards fed up with both the influence of the remaining Death Eaters just as much as they were disgusted with the Society's watered down version of what they thought Equinox should be. Either way, the influence of the Death Eaters over the organization ended, and I think that fact more than anything allowed the remnants of Equinox to hang on, under the guidance of Bagman, still secretly leading it from its jail cell.

"At the same time, Bagman still managed to keep some ties to the Collection Society. Balmweed both politically and personally denounced him for Fudge's murder, but Coventry and several others felt it unwise to do the same. After all, Bagman had been the Minister of Mysteries and his influence stretched well beyond his jail cell, so they decided to take a neutral stance. That ended up being a mistake, really… because not making a clean break from him is what allowed Bagman to get a grip on the Society again by playing to a common goal that both he and the society had; to get rid of the Snapes, and to acquire the Philosopher's Stone, which would most undoubtedly restored power to Equinox. In fact, it very well might have reunited both halves of the organization had they found some way to acquire it. They would have had to combine if they were to have any hopes of defending it. Of course, none of that happened. The war with the vampires and the Horsemen's attempts to annihilate my family did nothing but splinter Equinox further. Not only was the Collection Society as a whole forced to denounce Bagman's practices, but the dark wizards of Equinox didn't want anything to do with Bagman either. He took too many risks, and extended too far for his own thirst for power rather than for the order. In short, they too, have washed their hands of him. That, of course, left all of Bagman's loyal supporters in a bit of a lurch, since they no longer were welcome in either organization. Because of this, there was another split… rather a splinter… that came from both the Society and the remainder of Equinox… the name of which isn't yet known, really. It's highly secret, made up of Bagman's loyal followers. Some are actually still in the other two organizations, just nobody knows who they are… Bagman is running his personal entourage very much like he ran the Ministry of Mysteries. There's not even any physical proof that it exists, really, but it does, all the same."

"And just how do you know that?" Hope squinted.

"Auror Potter, my brother, and Mr. Gamban came to my father's tent last night to discuss it," Maurice explained. "They allowed Garvan and I to stay and listen. Mainly, Mr. Gamban and my brother were there to express concerns that any of the groups left over from Equinox would try to cause mischief at the games, and were trying to figure out which of the organizations were behind it. The only conclusion they seemed to come to was they didn't think it was Bagman's group, and even though they know that someone who was in Equinox is behind it, they don't know if it's a full group effort or just individuals within the organization."

"Wait, wait… you lost me again," Hope sighed.

"All right," Maurice said, getting out a handful of raisins and placing them on the table, followed by a handful of walnuts and a handful of sugar cubes. "Let's call the sugar the society, the walnuts Bagman's Equinox, and the raisins are Equinox proper… the dark wizard holdouts. Even though we know that Bagman's splinter group exists from logical deduction, we also know they have nothing to do with the incidents going on at the school for a number of reasons; lack of motive, too soon after reorganization, and they wouldn't do anything that would directly involve Garvan in any way… no, not even to try to throw people off the scent," Maurice said. "These members are a sort of elite force… hand-picked by Bagman… and if they'd been involved in anything like what happened last night, they would probably already be dead." Maurice picked up the walnuts and put them back in the bowl. "Now, we have the Society and Equinox proper left. Would either of them have a good motive? Well, we know for certain that the Society would like nothing better than to get rid of my brother and sister and restaff Hogwarts, but what isn't believable is that Coventry would do anything that would hurt the student body or the school itself; he wants the Snapes gone, but he doesn't want to hurt the school. That said, it is quite possible that there are people in the organization…" Maurice slid a handful of sugar cubes towards Hope, "that don't care if it hurts the school or not, as long as it gets rid of the Snapes. A small group may have met in secret and decided that trying to interrupt the games would sway public and parent opinion against the current staff. The same can be said for Equinox proper. We know very little about them at this point, really, too little to even guess at a motivation, now that the Stone is destroyed. But considering my family's history and everything that my brother and sister have done in the past to defy the dark wizard society in general…" he paused again to push a small handful of raisins to the front, "It is just as likely that a small group from Equinox could be behind what is going on as well. We can't eliminate them because of a lack of motive, because there is too high of a possibility that there are many motives, we simply don't know them."

"What makes you so sure that Equinox has anything at all to do with it? Really, when you get right down to it, anybody could be doing it. It doesn't have to be anybody associated with any sort of splinter of Equinox," Keir protested.

"Apparently, my brother had a conversation with the Ravenclaw statue, who was near the stands at the time the gargoyle attacked. She told him that Equinox had something to do with this," Maurice explained. Keir stared at him.

"A statue," Keir repeated in disbelief. Maurice nodded seriously at him. "One of the same statues that have been moving about with the gargoyles, causing havoc, making us chasing them around, and acting completely out of whack… one of those statues? Has the Headmaster gone completely mad?"

"If Grandfather is convinced that Equinox has something to do with it, that's good enough for me," Hope said proudly.

"Neither Auror Potter or my father argued the point," Maurice said calmly.

"Neither did mine," Garvan said quietly. Maurice nodded to him.

"Right, so this is where we are now," Maurice said, gesturing over to the two large piles and two small piles. "From what we heard last night, my brother intends to make contact with one of the members of old Equinox to try and discern what a motivation for their organization might be. Until then, we need to be on alert for anything out of the ordinary around the Pitch, on the grounds, and in the halls and classrooms."

"In the halls and classrooms?" Leu asked with a frown.

"Don't forget that starting this week a large portion of the events will move indoors," Maurice said. "That means all of the spectators will be coming inside as well."

"And whoever is behind this will be among them," Hope said darkly.

"Yes. Most undoubtedly," Maurice said, putting the raisins and sugar away.


	19. The Tournament Host

Chapter Nineteen

The Tournament Host

Reviews were in full swing by the next weekend, and as usual students were having a hard time concentrating with the Christmas holiday just around the corner. More and more vendors squeezed into the remaining spaces at the Quidditch Pitch and Pavilions in hopes of capitalizing on those holiday gifts, and for the most part, everyone seemed to be in a spending mood that year.

On Saturday morning teams of students who signed up for the Snow Fort competition founds large disks of snow blocks scattered around the Pitch with numbers chiseled upon them. It was on these they built their structures, attempting to make them as strong as they could, knowing they would be tested the next day. Curious parents and fascinated younger siblings wandered around with cups of steaming tea, cocoa, and spiced pumpkin cider, admiring the handiwork of the different teams as they packed, molded, and reinforced their creations.

At lunchtime several of the food booths brought out large cauldrons of different soups, stews, and brews, encouraging everyone to eat a fast but hearty meal before making their way to the Great Hall. The majority of the room still had dining tables set up with numbers on each, while the other half had chairs and a drink stand. On either end of the professor's table there were vendors set up to sell individual cards and card protectors.

Corey was one of them, watching with interest as Jennifer escorted one of the guest judges up to the table next to him. The first thing he noticed was the ornate robes and the large amount of jewelry the wizard had; three rings on the three middle fingers, and two each on his thumbs and pinkies. There were three earrings on both of his large ears, all of them different; and even one of his teeth contained charmed gold that glinted when he smiled. His knobby bald head made it difficult to pin down an age. He had muddy hazel eyes and was probably less than average in height but it was difficult to tell for sure, for the wizard floated about on ultra-lite shoes in a way that made it obvious that he wore them on a daily basis.

Corey was watching them so intently that Jennifer smiled and escorted the man over.

"Good afternoon, Corey! Mr. Aldus, this is my eldest, Corey Willowby. He's been helping supervise the St. Mungo's booths during the event. He's also the local alchemist, and makes custom wands as well," Jennifer said proudly.

"Ah, yes, I've heard of you, Mr. Willowby. How do you find the time for it all?" Aldus asked.

"I just don't sleep," Corey joked, accepting his hand. "Well, that, and I have dependable employees and a huge family support system."

"This is Mr. Aldus from Wizardday Publishing, an items researcher. He's also a friend of the Wizards of MC author and came as a personal favor," Jennifer explained.

"I'm afraid the author is a bit of a recluse, so I help fill in from time to time," Aldus explained.

"I've heard that, as well as the fact he never does public signings. Are you sure it isn't you?" Corey grinned as he shook his hand.

"I'm afraid I write dull books on Magical Enchantment in the Eighteenth Century and the like," Aldus protested with a smile.

"Well, that isn't so boring to me," Jennifer protested. "But I'm afraid you're probably right saying that Corey would think so. This silly children's series is the first thing I've seen him read cover to cover since he left school."

"Other than the Christmas book of my wife's, I would have to say yes," Corey admitted with a grin. "But when you have a whole houseful of children bonkers over a series and using catch phrases that you don't understand, you tend to look into it."

"And then he promptly got even more fanatical about it than any other member of his family," Jennifer interrupted mischievously.

"I'll admit it. I can't help it; the characters speak to me, especially Professor Frumpet. He reminds me so much of Dad when he was teaching Potions, although Frumpet throws more things at the students," Corey grinned.

"I rather think Professor Dumbledore would have had a bit of a talk with any professor who threw things at students," Jennifer said with a subdued smile.

"Yes, the characters are intentionally over the top to invoke certain emotions in children. It was written for preteens from a dramatic perspective, for children of that age tend to think of every emotional challenge as extreme," Aldus explained.

"You needn't convince me of that. I know first hand all about that stage," Jennifer laughed. "Both as a mother and a professor. I must admit, with the way the younger generations in my family are taking to these books, including my brother, I am quite tempted to read the series myself."

"You are one of the few witches in the country who hasn't read it, Mom," Corey chided her.

"I highly doubt that. I prefer books that offer knowledge rather than entertainment, son, as you well know. Besides, with everyone else being so silly with it… lining up at midnight for book parties and dressing up and the like, it rather makes me feel like I'm jumping on some sort of band wagon for all the wrong reasons," Jennifer confessed. "No offense at all intended, Mr. Aldus."

"Oh, no, none taken whatsoever I assure you, Professor Craw. There's nothing wrong with practicality, which is why I only write about my research. Still, you have to admire the effort, and any series that inspires children to read who have never shown interest before is something worth noting."

"I do agree with you there. If it can get Corey to read a book, it can get anyone to read," Jennifer teased. Corey nodded with a chuckle. There was a hand on his shoulder, and they looked back to see Hermione step up to them.

"Sorry to interrupt," Hermione said. "We have about five minutes left for them to warm up, then we'll go over the rules. Are the two of you ready?" Hermione asked, glancing between Corey and Aldus.

"Of course," Aldus said.

"Sure," Corey said.

"After you're done with the first rounds, I don't suppose you'd be interested in having dinner with the Headmaster and myself in his study?" Jennifer asked.

"It would be an honor, of course," Aldus said politely. But as he scanned the students shuffling through their decks, he couldn't help but blink. "Is that a ghost down there sitting with the competitors?"

"Oh, is Noah competing?" Jennifer said, glancing over to where Noah sat across from Keir Box. It's quite all right, Mr. Aldus. He is a student, after all."

"A student? A ghost for a student? First centaurs, then ghosts? What will the Headmaster do for an encore?" Aldus asked in amazement.

"A goblin, perhaps?" Corey suggested, sounding more serious than not.

"Don't you dare start that again, especially not here," Jennifer said under her breath. "Good luck, Hermione, I had better get upstairs to see how Professor Andrew is doing with the familiars."

"Have fun!" Hermione said with a wave before getting the scroll of rules and stepping up to explain the rules. Corey nudged the guest judge, showing him to their seats.

"Goblin?" Aldus inquired curiously. Corey glanced at the wizard searchingly, but there was no evident distain or disapproval on his face at all; simply an intense gaze, as if waiting to absorb any information that he was provided. But Corey shrugged, almost apologetically.

"It's my nature, I suppose; in for a penny, in for a pound. I'd do anything to chip at those gold brick walls between the goblins and wizards. Honestly, both sides would be much better off if we were on more cooperative terms," Corey said.

"Is that why you have taken on goblin apprentices, Mr. Willowby?" Aldus asked.

"I'd like to say so," Corey said, standing behind his seat. "But it wouldn't be true. It's actually payback against someone who tried to kill my sister. Have a seat."

"I admire your sense of honesty," Aldus said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Why lie, when the press is so willing to do it for me?" Corey chuckled.

"Please head to the numbered seat listed on the chart," Hermione was instructing the contestants. "After the first round, we will be conducting a Swiss-style tournament for five more rounds, and possibly a sixth round for ties. We will then announce the twelve highest scores, who will be playing for metals tomorrow after lunch."

At the tables, Noah hissed softly to get Keir's attention.

"What does Swiss style mean?" Noah whispered.

"Basically it means after the first round you'll be playing someone with the same or close to the same amount of wins and losses than you. If you lose in the first round… meaning you lost two games out of a possible three… in round two, you'll be playing someone who also lost their first round. Then they'll tally points based on how many wins you have to see if you're in the top twelve," he explained.

"Yes, I see. So it's not like we're going to be eliminated right away. Even if we lose, we stay for all six rounds, right?" Noah asked.

"Right, but the point is to win, not lose," Keir pointed out impatiently.

"Oh, I'm just here to see what it's like," Noah said, getting up with Keir and walking over to the pairings board.

"Maybe I'll get lucky and get you as opponent straight off then," Keir smirked, but then groaned when he found his name on the list. "Chuck. Why did it have to be Chuck?"

"He was out all morning building that fort. Perhaps he will be tired," Noah suggested encouragingly.

"Maybe, if I'm lucky," Keir sighed. "Well, go on, you're at 13, it would seem. I hope you're not superstitious."

"I'm a ghost. What's left that can happen to me?" Noah asked bluntly, floating through the table so he could get to the side where the odd numbers had been placed.

It was none other than Maurice who sat across from him, inspecting the table carefully before putting down a bulky deck of cards that made Noah stare. Each card was sleeved in a clear plastic jacket, the backs tinted with green. He then began sorting the cards face down in groups on the table over and over again.

"What are you doing?" Noah asked at last.

"Shuffling, of course," Maurice said unconcernedly. "If you shuffle them this way, you don't risk bending the cards and decreasing their value."

"Decreasing their value?" Noah repeated in bewilderment. "But it's just paper! Well, that and those silly coverlets you have on them. Are you sure it's not against the rules for you to have them?"

"Of course not… and I'm far from the only one using them. Look around," Maurice suggested. Noah peered down the table, more than a little surprised that the majority of students seemed to be using them. "A lot of these cards are quite rare, especially some of the avatars and spells. They only print a handful of the rarer cards, which increases the demand, you see."

"Are the rare cards more powerful?" Noah asked.

"Not always," Maurice admitted. "But a lot of people have a favorite avatar they want to own, even if they don't plan to collect the whole set. You're new to playing, aren't you? I'm a bit surprised to see you here at all, considering Leu and Copper are trying out upstairs."

"Well, I don't have a familiar, and this is one of the few events other than Chess and Go that I can compete in, so I thought I'd try it for fun," Noah explained.

"I see," Maurice said, offering Noah his deck so he could cut it. "An awful lot of ghosts watching, aren't there? And no gargoyles, strangely enough."

"We're in the Great Hall. There are always ghosts watching," Noah reminded him. "And I don't think I've ever seen a gargoyle of any kind in here. Have you?"

"Well, no, not yet," Maurice said, gazing at him thoughtfully. But the question he was attempting to formulate was brushed from his mind when they were asked to begin and he turned his attention to his game, wasting no time in adding room cards to the board to fortify his position. Like most beginners, Noah only placed one room card… the Dining Hall… before he picked his avatar and began to set equipment cards next to him. But having a powerful avatar was only part of the game; you had to take over the castle too. With more maneuverability and a better defense, it was not long before Maurice trounced him.

Before most were even halfway through with the first game, the two of them were into the second. Noah had begun to play more cautiously, Maurice observed, and put out both the kitchen and the sliding passage cards from the very start. Even so, it wasn't long before it was out of balance again, with lots of magical devices and plenty of hit points on his avatar but without the ability to capture rooms. Maurice controlled them all, even the broom closet that Noah brought out in desperation. Noah conceded in annoyance.

"I did my best, but I didn't have any more rooms to put out," Noah said with frustration.

"It's the deck to blame, really. It needs rebalancing. Leu put that together from his cards, didn't he?" Maurice asked, and Noah nodded. "Here, let me help you put something together more competitive at least. Where is your sideboard?"

"My what?"

"The extra cards you're allowed to bring to switch out between matches," Maurice explained patiently.

"Oh! Here," Noah said, showing him the small stack. Seeing that it was mostly room cards, Maurice rolled his eyes and showed him some of the basics of deck building, barely even looking up when Corey came over to get their score.

"I take it that it was a landslide," Corey said with amusement when he saw what Maurice was doing.

"He had more items attached to his Dutch avatar than Mr. Aldus is wearing," Maurice said, rolling his eyes again.

"Really? I didn't think you were allowed to have that many cards," Corey chuckled with a wink before moving over to the next pair he saw were finished.

"I'm still not sure I understand how your avatar, with just a wand and no defense items, managed to take hold of so many control of the rooms so quickly," Noah grumbled.

"It's because I didn't waste my movements. You were so busy putting armor on, you missed a lot of opportunities to make your rooms hard for me to steal," Maurice explained. "It's not a game of power so much as a game of opportunities. Learn to recognize and take opportunities when they happen and the rest will come naturally," Maurice said.

"So I suppose the best defense it to keep your opponent from having opportunities," Noah concluded.

"Well, yes, but if you lose opportunities in the process, then you're only hurting yourself. You might be able to slow the game down, but if you waste all of your time just trying to keep your opponents from getting opportunity, you'll never win. Sooner or later, they'll break through anyway," Maurice said, helping Noah put his deck back together again.

"Perhaps that's why," Noah said. Maurice looked at him quizzically, but the ghost's expression was distant.

"Why what?" Maurice asked.

"Oh… I mean. Thank you, I think I understand what you mean now," Noah said.

"You can prove it by making the top twelve," Maurice said seriously, straightening his own deck.

"I doubt that will happen, but I will try to do my best," Noah promised.

"I suppose that'll have to do," Maurice said, glancing around. "I'm going to go get a drink while we're waiting for the list to go up for the next round."

"All right," Noah said, content to stay there and deal himself test hands out of the card deck.

Maurice wandered over to the table and bought a fizzle drink, then stepped over to where Garvan was leaning against the wall having one of his own.

"Did you do all right?" Maurice asked.

"Easy win. Same with Hinge, but Starling is still at it. He ended up paired with Hope," Garvan said.

"Amazing they're still at the table then, I'd have expected Hope to have won by now," Maurice admitted, glancing at the last three pairs still trying to finish before time ran out.

"They've both won one game. Hope had bad luck and ended up taking a mulligan for not having rooms in her hand," Garvan explained. "By the way, do you know the guest judge at all?"

"No, I think I'd have remembered it if I have. He has so much jewelry on I'm amazed he's not bent over from all the weight, or at least his earlobes dangling to his shoulder," Maurice said. "Why do you ask?"

"He seems familiar to me for some reason is all, like I've seen him before," Garvan explained.

"Perhaps one of your father's business acquaintances?" Maurice suggested.

"My father had only one sort of business acquaintance, and that was the sort I really wasn't supposed to meet at all," Garvan said slowly.

"My father never did that," Maurice said expressionlessly. "He told me a long time ago that the more you try to keep your child from something, the more likely it is that they end up being in the middle of it."

"Well, I'd say he's right about that one," Garvan admitted, but then tried to shrug it off, no longer in the mood to talk about it. "Shall we go over? The list is up for the next round."

"We probably should," Maurice agreed, ready to drop the subject as well.

Maurice and Garvan were far from the only ones with questions about their hosts, but none of them were answered until after the last round, when Mr. Aldus gratefully allowed Professor Weasley to escort him up to the Headmaster's Study. Tea was already waiting when he arrived, and he was immediately offered a comfortable chair.

"May I inquire as to who made the tea?" Aldus said. "Forgive me, but I have a bit of a quirk when it comes to anyone offering me… well… anything, really," he explained apologetically. "I don't like imbibing anything unless I know the cook well."

"One of the kitchen staff made it, but that's quite all right. I have plenty of loose teas here for you to inspect as you like, and hot water, of course," Severus said, not offended in the least. "Feel free to take your time, there's no rush. Care for a biscuit? They're from Honeydukes, out of a tin."

"I hope I am not giving the impression that I am a bit paranoid… despite my jewelry habit," Aldus said.

"Mr. Aldus, being paranoid is what has kept me alive, as well as my family," Severus said expressionlessly. Just then there was a loud grinding noise that made Aldus jump. "Speaking of which, here comes two of them now, if I'm not mistaken."

A side door opened and Jennifer stepped out, holding hands with a toddler who peered into the room cautiously before clumsily running the biscuit tin.

"Tea time!" Quintin declared as Severus quickly moved the tin away from the edge of the desk.

"Oh, no you don't. We're not starting with biscuits again. The last time you did that, I couldn't get you to eat any real food!" Jennifer chided him. "Sorry if I kept you waiting. The familiar tryouts ran over, and then I had to pick up Quintin."

"He's only just arrived," Severus assured her. "However, after our brief discussion, a change in plan may be in order. I believe I will send the Cauldron up."

"What? You're quite serious, aren't you?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Of course," Severus said simply, stepping over to the fireplace and looking in. After a moment or two, he reached over the low embers and pulled out a large cauldron of a pink porridge-like substance. The questions on their guest's lips died quite suddenly as he admired it, inspecting it meticulously as only an items specialist would. "Care to try some?"

"This really is Dagda's Cauldron, isn't it? I really wasn't expecting to see it," Aldus marveled with glee. "It never runs out of food, does it? Powerful magic indeed!" Severus immediately offered him a bowl, and then offered one to Quintin, who was nearly as enthusiastic. Jennifer (who preferred her porridge in the morning or on the odd occasion she was up late) took her bowl next, and finally Severus (who never preferred porridge) served himself last.

"It's quite marvelous, isn't it? Endless food, no labor required. How does it sustain itself?" Aldus asked with an intent gaze.

"My best guess at this point is it was made from energy distilled from a natural wild magic source that was tempered with a raw form of energy harnessed from an ancient magic source which replenishes it through constant reaction," Severus said.

"I see! Now I understand," Aldus said.

"You do?" Jennifer asked in surprise, for she hadn't understood a word of it.

"Of course. What the Headmaster is saying is that he has absolutely no idea how the Cauldron works," Aldus said.

"No idea whatsoever," Severus agreed. Jennifer gave them both dirty looks, and then decided to turn her attention to Quintin instead. "I suppose there is no point in pretending that this invitation to dinner was simply a matter of decorum."

"Nor is it simply a typical and yet tedious attempt of someone finding out more about Mr. Sterry, which is refreshing, to say the least, as is the porridge," Aldus said.

"And considering the fact that you were reluctant to accept anything from us also betrays the fact that you are no more interested in a courtesy social visit than I am," Severus concluded. "Perhaps it would be more comfortable for all of us if we simply dispensed with the formalities and agree to be candid with one another?"

"Thank you very much," Aldus said sincerely. "My name is Deacon, if you prefer. Deacon Nimrod Aldus."

"Not a very forgiving name," Severus said.

"Forgiveness is not in my nature, Professor. I was born to a servant in the house of a wealthy dark wizard family, where forgiveness was not taught nor encouraged, only punishment," Deacon admitted. "A hard life, which has indeed left me paranoid and cynical, and yet my life away from that nasty situation has been quite good to me. I fought for my success, and I am disinclined to have it taken from me and will do anything to preserve my earned freedom. Anything beyond that is of minor importance to me and can be negotiated freely." Severus gazed at him thoughtfully, wondering what to make of that admission.

"Mr. Aldus, we have not yet had words with Auror Potter today," Jennifer said quietly.

"Perhaps not yet, but you would have in either case, before or after this meeting," Deacon said with a shrug. "But I suppose it is not to my disadvantage. The truth of the matter is that I am no longer a servant of the house of Gaulwitch because Ludo Bagman stepped in as a patron and saved me from both my station and financial status by setting me up as an assistant to Barnabus Bosworth, whom I'm sure you heard of."

"Yes, we know his nephew from the Ministry. Barnabus Bosworth is a specialist in textile charms and artifacts," Severus said, glancing at Jennifer, who nodded in agreement.

"The point is, I do owe a debt to Bagman, and yes, I have been his agent in the past, and I will not work against him. But I am here this weekend simply to promote the Wizards of MC Series and the tournament and I have no animosity towards you or yours. I am certainly not here to harm you or your family on his behalf."

"I never thought you were. What would Bagman have to gain, now that the Stone is destroyed? From the testimony given after the affair, it would seem to have been his primary motivation," Severus said calmly. "Nelson had many reasons for revenge in his own mind; Foncé took issue with my wife and daughter, and he was a vampire, so death will always seem the more thorough option. Even Longbottom feared me enough to have wanted my demise, pardon or no pardon. I do not question that he would attempt to get me out of the way if given an opportunity such as he had last year. But my focus and concern at the moment is here at Hogwarts, and I'm fairly certain Bagman is aware of it."

"Perhaps, but you are a nuisance, Professor, as is Professor Craw," Aldus said with a polite nod. "As is the rest of your family, the Ministry, and all of the Aurors attempting to find him. You are right in thinking he would do so if he had the opportunity and felt he could safely get away from it, but it would not be an act of hate so much as one of convenience."

"And how does Equinox feel about the school, Mr. Aldus?" Severus asked expressionlessly. Aldus gazed fixedly at him for a moment.

"Equinox is long dead, Professor Snape," Aldus replied.

"Perhaps in name, but all of the former members are alive and well, and I doubt all of them have joined Mr. Coventry's little party, have they?"

"The pompous buffoon… flaunting his money and power when he has no concept whatsoever of what it's like to go without it," Aldus snarled.

"So we have something in common at least," Severus said evenly. "What happened to the others?"

"Found other hobbies, I suppose, or time-consuming professions, such as my own," he said with a shrug. "I mind my own affairs, Professor Snape. Every wizard has his own fair share of problems, without prying into what isn't one's business."

"I could not agree more," Severus said emphatically, noting the quick grimace that had crossed Jennifer's face. "I especially have a very time-consuming profession, and more than my own share of problems, such as the incident where someone managed to bait a dragon into the Quidditch Pitch in the middle of the events."

"Yes, I already had words with Auror Potter about that as well," Aldus said dryly. "I do not know who was behind it, Professor Snape. I am truly here only to help with the tournament, and promote the books and the card sales for the St. Mungo's drive."

"It is much appreciated, both by the students and staff, not to mention my family has been involved in the orphan's placement program since my eldest was a teenager and took an interest," Severus said.

"Extraordinary," Aldus replied. "How strangers from such differing backgrounds can find so much to agree upon."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Severus agreed, offering him more hot water.

It was not long after exchanging trivialities and giving details about how the last rounds of the tournament would proceed that Deacon Aldus took his leave. Patiently, Severus waited for Jennifer to get Quintin settled in his room, but gave her a questioning glance the moment she returned.

"A rather strange man, isn't he?" Jennifer said, reaching for the coffee with a sigh.

"He was blocking you, wasn't he?" Severus prompted.

"Hmm, yes, he was, but I did get some impressions, all the same," Jennifer said, and Severus gazed at her intently. "I rather felt like he knew much more than he was saying when you asked him about the others outside of the Collection Society, Severus, but I think part of the reason he behaved that way was that he was already on the defensive."

"Yes, his talk with Harry… Harry must have gotten wind of the wizard's background and decided to follow up on it before letting him get into the school. Even so, he seemed genuinely sincere in his protests that he has nothing to do with any of this," Severus mused.

"I believe him too. He seemed quite truthful in that. In fact, I wonder if under other circumstances, he might have been more cooperative," Jennifer mused.

"What do you mean by that?" Severus asked.

"Well, it was like… I felt like he was curious about something…something he wanted to ask us about very badly, and yet for some reason deemed it inappropriate enough that he never brought it up," Jennifer explained. Severus frowned at her.

"No impression as to what it was?" Severus asked.

"No, not really, only that he was fervently debating his proprieties as if… as if sometimes he had a hard time deciding what those should be with us… goodness, I suppose that makes no sense at all," Jennifer said apologetically.

"Actually, it may make perfect sense. He did confess that Bagman rescued him from servant status in a dark wizard family household, and you know as well as I do how they treat their servants regardless if they're human, Imp, House Elf, or any other being, for that matter. If he was brought up under strict standards, he may still be mentally struggling to free his bonds… very much like Llewellyn is still struggling to be free from his," Severus pointed out.

"You're right, that does make sense now that you explain it that way, although I would have liked to have known what it was he wanted to ask about," Jennifer said. "And he certainly didn't offer us any clues as to who may have set that dragon off, only proclaimed his own innocence."

"And confessed his affiliation," Severus added thoughtfully, lacing his hands together. "Perhaps he wasn't telling us the entire truth, and yet his admission was honest. He simply saw no reason to give us any more information, other than to state his business with us. He came off as being a private man with an obviously turbulent background, and conscious of his own thoughts and keeping them. I see nothing wrong with that, really, and to be perfectly frank, if it weren't for his open loyalties to Bagman as well as covering for his old order, I rather think I'd like the man."

"Probably because if the situation was reversed, it'd be unlikely you would give him any more information than he just gave you," Jennifer ventured. "Especially if you were somewhere with your own private reasons for being there."

Severus found his thoughts traveling to the Otherworld and his time there, lingering over his time in Cair Danaan, reeling his memories in when he found himself wondering how Bael and his other friends were faring. Aldus was right; he had his own concerns to manage.

"Quite correct," Severus said. "He didn't trust us, and for some reason that has eased my distrust of him. I agree that he wasn't telling us everything, and I highly doubt that he is _only_ here to judge the tournament. But the fact that he was up front over his position indicates that his intentions are not harmful to us and I don't think he has anything to do with what's going on here. Even so, I rather think he could be a powerful ally to us, if we're cautious."

"I suppose, Severus, but he's only here for one more day," Jennifer pointed out.

"During which time, I would like you to only talk business… his business being here, and his business in general… namely, his expertise in items. Every earring, necklace and ring that man had on had a protection charm on it, whether it was a primary function or secondary function, correct?" Severus asked.

"Without a doubt. They had all the typical earmarks," Jennifer agreed.

"That is what I want you to discuss. Talk shop with the man about items, Jennifer, you may both learn something. Mention what we're working on."

"What?" Jennifer exclaimed, sitting up with surprise. "Severus, are you quite serious? We don't even have a working prototype yet, and if we tell him about our attempts, word will surely get back to Bagman about it."

"All the better, especially if you mention that we have a protective charm against it as well," Severus said, Jennifer staring at him in response. "Bagman is a man of opportunity, if he knows we have a defense and he has no further cause to dismiss us other than being a 'nuisance,' as Aldus puts it, he will dismiss us and concern himself with other targets."

"Other targets?" Jennifer repeated. "You mean other targets who may not be as prepared to defend themselves against it as we are? I'm not sure I like the sound of that either." Severus sighed.

"That is something that we cannot be concerned with, Jennifer, that is your father and Harry's business, not ours, and you know that perfectly well," Severus reminded her.

"Very well, I'll concede that point, but in so doing, I rather think I am going to let Harry know our intentions to work with the man, especially since he's already found reason to speak with him," Jennifer said.

"A logical precaution," Severus agreed. "But for some reason, I have a feeling that this weekend will not be the last we see of Mr. Aldus, and if he does prove to be someone who may side against us in the future, it'd be wise to learn more about him while we can."

"Yes, you have a point," Jennifer said.

"Good. By the way, you have about two minutes and thirty-nine seconds before book and bath time," Severus warned.

"I had better get moving, then, I suppose… we really don't want a repeat of last night, do we?" Jennifer said with a painful grin as she got up.

"The last thing I want to do is peel dozens of first edition tomes off of the ceiling again, thank you. You know, thinking back over the years… my memories are surely biased… but I don't remember any of our other children being quite as mischievous. Am I simply remembering it incorrectly? Were any of our other children so explosively ill-behaved as this one?"

"Actually, Severus, they were much worse on occasion, just never as… well… as consistently… or as…" Jennifer hesitated again, but then continued in resignation, "as strongly as this one."

"Yes, it rather reminds me of Ambrose's strength in magic, but without the exceptional intelligence. In that respect, he reminds me more of your brother… quick in learning and fast in retention, but not years ahead like Ambrose was," Severus mused.

"To be perfectly honest, that is a bit of a relief, although I really wish for his own sake he wasn't so…"

"Exceptional?" Severus offered, Jennifer looking quite embarrassed. "Are you lamenting the fact for his own sake, or for your desire to have what you consider a 'normal' child?"

"I think I've officially given up that idea for lost, Severus," Jennifer admitted ruefully.

"Good, it's about time, because I really think we need to combine our ef…"

"BOOK!" Quintin howled from the next room. Immediately, all the books in the room flew off the shelves, and Severus had to make a frantic dive to rescue his appointment book while Jennifer dropped to the floor to save herself from the tomes as they whizzed past in a whirlwind, finally slamming up against the ceilings, rails, and some of the paintings. Some had even been thrown at against the observatory dome. Severus got up and stared at the disaster, groaning and gritting his teeth slightly.

"I'm so terribly sorry, Severus!" Jennifer apologized emphatically, before hurrying in to the nursery. Putting his book back on the desk, Severus slumped into his chair, propping his head in his hand as he looked forlornly at the ceiling. It was definitely going to be another long evening.


	20. The Snow Battle

Chapter Twenty

The Snow Battle

Twenty-four groups had made forts that Saturday, so ninety-six students of mixed years and houses were assembled on the stands the next morning in front of Danny Brittle. She gazed at them with a thin smile on her face, leaning on her broom.

"Good morning, teams! Hope everyone had a warm breakfast," Danny greeted them cheerfully. "The rules are quite simple; you can only use snow from your fort or any that accumulated on your individual platforms overnight, and you may not transfigure the snow into becoming something that it isn't. You may use charms on the snow itself, but you may not use the charms on each other or your opponents… only the snow. Anyone I see bending the rules will get disqualified, although I may give a one-time warning for minor offenses. This is a last-team standing event, and it will take more than a strong fort to win. You must employ strategy and sound thinking if you are to best your fellow opponents. Any other questions?" she asked.

"One," called out Charles. Danyelle seemed amused by that for some reason. "Those circles we built our forts on… I take it that's the platform you're talking about?"

"Yes, Mr. Willowby," Danny confirmed.

"Well, that's all well and good for the poor chaps who are unlucky enough to be sitting right next to ours," Charles said, thumbing over at Kim's group who glared fiercely at him in return, "but there are over twenty teams here, and some of them are on the other side of the field. Exactly how are we supposed to reach them?"

"Mr. Willowby, you have a brain on the rare occasion you remember to use it. You figure it out," Danny said bluntly. "You have five minutes to get to your forts, then I'll be blowing the whistle to begin. No poking around near the other forts on the way," she warned.

Now the majority of students understood exactly why Madame Brittle had picked stands so far away from the forts themselves. The ones the farthest away would have to run to get there on time, and even the closest ones would have very limited time to consult each other before the whistle went off.

"At least we seem to be on the opposite side of your brother," Winnie panted as they ran to the farthest side of the snow fort area.

"Considering what Madame Brittle said, that only buys us time," Michael huffed.

"But what does she expect us to do if we end up left with someone across the Pitch as the last group to fight?" Veronica asked. "It's true that Mike's snowballs might be able to reach that far, but they wouldn't be very accurate."

"Look," Diana said, pointing to their fort. That was when Michael noticed that the platform of snow they had made their fort on had raised somewhat… no, it was that the surrounding snow had been cleared away. It was a disk made of snow bricks, tightly packed and six inches thick so they had to take a step up to get to their castle-like tower.

"If the platform is made out of snow as well, that means we're allowed to manipulate it too. Maybe we're supposed to find a way to move it!" Veronica said excitedly. The whistle went off.

"Posts everyone!" Michael barked.

Diana crawled into the opening in the tower and carefully hoisted herself up to look out the top, while Veronica took a position just below her beside a huge pile of snowballs they had prepared. Michael and Winnie hurried to take cover behind their snow-brick wall around the tower. A shot from another fort narrowly missed Winnie's head as she slid towards the stack of Bludger-sized snowballs.

"Time to see if this thing works," Mike muttered, scrambling over to his snow trebuchet and checking to make sure the base hadn't settled or melted overnight. Winnie grinned at him wickedly.

"Think that webbing spell Diane put on the sling will hold?" she asked, handing him one of the large snowballs.

"We'll know the answer soon enough," Mike replied, peering over the wall to see which fort was his easiest shot. It was a group of Gryffindor first years… none of which he even knew the names of… in an igloo-style fortress with windows they were throwing snowballs out of. It was one of their team who had nearly hit Winnie the moment before, Mike realized, for their fort was one of only two forts in their current throwing range. "That'll do, then," he said out loud and loaded his trebuchet, aiming for the edge of the window in hopes of causing a bigger impact.

The first shot wobbled above and to the right of where Mike had intended to go, but it made a clean hit at the upper structure of the igloo, knocking out a massive chunk of snow. Gasping, two of the boys frantically tried to patch the hole, using their wands when they had trouble repacking the snow by hand.

"Brilliant!" Winnie said enthusiastically, heaving another snowball. "Do it again!"

"Attack coming in from the back!" came Ronnie's muffled voice. Mike and Winnie glanced around the tower just in time to see Diana's retaliation… a rapid volley of small snowballs, thrown with such strength that the other team's wall was covered with holes.

"How in the blazes is she doing that?" Winnie gaped, staring at the younger girl as she leaned out of the tower. It was almost as if she were looking at a different person, Winnie thought. Yes, it was the same pale, braided blonde figure with the expressionless face she had come to know, but there was a fierce spark in Diana's eyes that she had never seen before.

"She seems to be squeezing the snowballs in her hand before she throws them… I think she's warming the outside to get them to ice up so they hit harder," Mike said. "Not a bad idea, if you ask me."

"But we're not suppose to transfigure them…"

"Who said anything about transfiguring? Snow turning into ice is a natural process," Mike reminded her, and the two of them shared a thin smile before reaching for the snowballs.

They heard a loud whistle in the distance, and the two of them immediately searched for Madame Brittle, hovering above the forts on her broom. She wasn't concerned with what they were doing, although she was more than a little amused when she had seen Mike's trebuchet. She was much more concerned with the ferocity of the attacks from the team made up entirely of seventh year Slytherin: Stinson, Weasley, Ewen, and Coventry. Brittle was still more than a little surprised that Helena had agreed to sit on the same team as Coventry and the two other boys, despite the fact that it was undoubtedly going to prove to be one of the stronger teams out there.

"The goal is to destroy their snow structures, Coventry and Ewen, not try to knock out the team members themselves!" Danny snapped at them. "That's a warning."

"What if I hit them by accident?" Don protested.

"I'll know if it isn't," Danny said sternly, then rose to get out of throwing range.

"I guess that means we make it look like an accident," Ryan Stinson murmured.

"How about we don't piss off our advisor this month?" Balt Ewen suggested dangerously.

"We got off with a warning, let's not push our luck," Helena said, backing him up. "And anyway, we already took out the hardest competition in our throwing range, and what's left is so pathetic it won't take us long to clean it up. What's our next move?"

"Our next move is moving, obviously," Balt said. "If we can ice up the ground underneath the platform, we ought to be able to move this think like a giant puck, though it might take some work to get it started. Once we start moving, though, we should keep moving."

"Yeah, that'd be peachy if we weren't on it," Ryan said. "And just how are we going to navigate this thing if we turn it into a tub?"

"I can make a rudder," Helena suggested, grabbing a bucket of snow.

"That won't be easy without transfiguring it," Balt said.

"Maybe, but it's about time I put those last three years I've spent in items to some use," Helena said.

"Hurry! Some of the others are starting to get the same idea!" Don snapped.

Sure enough, the field was quickly turning into bedlam as different students tried to get their platforms moving. Many of them were using the same method as they were to get around. Few had a rudder, though, and the lack of control was causing them to crash into each other like icy dodgem cars. Other teams charmed the platforms to have feet, but they also seemed to have some difficulty in controlling direction, for the feet often slipped on the icy, slushy field.

"All right, we're ready. Where do you want to go?" Helena asked, ducking snow spray that came from another collision.

"Let's go out to the center along the edge," Balt said, having to raise his voice to be heard over the exclamations of surprise and dismay ringing out from around them. "That should get us away from the main carnage but close enough to hit anyone left over. We'll use Coventry's air tubes and blast anyone who gets close."

Near the far corner, Michael's team had used the enchanted legs as their mode of transportation and was completely on the defensive. They had been too busy dodging all the sliding platforms to get very far, and the constant movement made it impossible to use the snow trebuchet. Diana was now their primary mode of attack.

"This really isn't working so well," Michael admitted to Winnie. "I suppose it might have, had all the teams chosen the same charms to move, but as it is…"

"Look!" Diana warned, pointing to a platform that rose high above them before bouncing back down on what looked like an icy block and spring.

"Wow, brilliant that! I think that's my cousin's fort!" Winnie said with appreciation.

"I hope they get control of it soon. It's moving around like Copper when she's on one of her rampages," Michael said. Winnie grinned at him.

"It's definitely a force to be reckoned with, isn't it? Too bad we're not on their side," Winnie said. Michael looked at her thoughtfully.

"You just gave me an idea. Let's see if we can get closer without getting under them," Michael said, tapping his wand against the feet of their platform.

"Right, good luck with that," Winnie said skeptically, hunkering down as their fort began to move again. Finally, the jumping fort seemed to settle, and Michael peered over, hoping to catch someone's attention.

They didn't get it right away, for everyone on the Willowby team was laying flat against the platform, waiting for their heads to stop spinning.

"Great idea, Gamban. I think I'm going to kill you when I'm able to get up again," Hope declared with a groan.

"That's not fair, Hope! If it hadn't been for Garvan's quick thinking, we'd have been in the middle of that collision back there and you know it! We'd have been done then and there!" Natalie defended heatedly, carefully sitting up.

"It probably would have been a quicker death," Chuck said. "We may be able to out dodge the other forts this way, but that first leap also took out our ready ammo. We'll be tearing this castle apart to find snow to throw now."

"Wait a minute! Look over there!" Natalie said. Garvan slowly sat up as well.

"I'm not looking, I'm not ready. Just tell me what's over there," Hope said, still holding onto her stomach.

"It's Michael. He's signing at us, asking for a temporary peace… I expect it means he wants an alliance of sorts," Garvan explained.

"Take it! Maybe they have ammo!" Hope said immediately.

"Wait! Don't look too eager!" Chuck snapped at her. "They'll know we're in trouble!"

"I expect practically everyone's in trouble now, except maybe those Slytherin over there…" Natalie said, pointing to where the seventh years were picking off the forts sliding by with tubes made of ice that caused snowballs to shoot out at such a rapid pace they were quickly eliminating the competition.

"We're not going to stand a chance on our own without running out of snow… or walls, for that matter," Garvan admitted seriously.

"All right. I hope Helena doesn't get mad at us for teaming up like this," Hope said, sitting up.

"Not likely, she's a born competitor. She'll expect no less from us," Garvan assured her, signing a reply.

"Looks like it's on," Michael said in the other fort. "Have Diana come down and we'll come up with a plan."

Even though Helena's sliding platform was slow to move and tricky to start and stop, Don's icy tubes made up for it, for they could launch quite accurately over a long distance and were long enough to stack five snowballs inside of it at one time.

"There are less than a dozen teams now, and from the looks of it, half of their forts are ready to crumble at any time," Balt reported. "Looks like the only competition is what's left of that fort that's jumping and the one with the single tower and the trebuchet, but it doesn't look like it's very accurate."

"I know which team the jumper is, and the treb. Let's go after those teams next. I don't want to see them on the podium," Don said fiercely.

"All right, but none of your direct brute tactics, Coventry, just go for the fort. There's a Slytherin on the jumper team as well, don't forget," Balt warned him. "Helena, turn this thing about."

"Who cares? It's just Greisley!" Don snorted.

"Greisley puts up a lot more points than you do, Don," Balt said firmly. Just then, a large snowball came in and nicked Balt's shoulder as it futilely attempted to hit their fort's inner wall. "Never mind the jumper. Take out the treb first."

Just as Helena got their platform turned around and heading in the right direction, the jumping fort came crashing down right in their path, forcing her to veer off to the side and causing the entire platform to skid around, leaving them a bit disoriented.

"Nice save, mates!" Garvan shouted enthusiastically, just as Hope, Chuck, and Natalie popped up from behind the wall. The four of them threw snowballs at once, knocking off a small corner of the other team's fort and causing snow to spray out in all directions.

"You little traitor!" Don spat.

"All's fair in love and war," Garvan said cheerfully before the fort bounced up out of view.

While the four of them were still staring at it and wishing it would land hard enough to smash, they suddenly felt something hit. Scrambling, the three boys hurried to the back of the platform to see a large hole in their fort, for in the commotion Michael's platform had moved behind theirs and was even now loading the trebuchet for a second round.

"Those dumbasses are working together!" Don growled.

"I'm not so sure about the dumb part," Helena commented, getting a glare in response.

"Well, we can't take them both at once. Splitting up our efforts will only hurt us. I say we take out the bigger threat, which is definitely Michael's fort. Helena, you stay on the tiller and make sure those stupid Willowbys don't get too close." Balt said.

"Why don't we find someone who wants to gain up on them?" Ryan asked.

"Only one problem with that," Balt said, glancing at Don, who was busy reloading his ice tube. "Nobody would accept with Coventry on board."

"Who needs them? People don't get ahead by making alliances anyway," Don said, launching a volley of snowballs into an unfortunate team of second years who surrendered to save themselves a second onslaught. "Now stop dicking around and move this thing forward!"

"There are only five teams left. If you want Michael's team out of the metals, we need to take them out now," Balt said. "Try charging them, Helena."

"I can charge, but they'll be able to stop before we can," Helena warned.

"Which will put them in a retreat, and that is when we need to take out that trebuchet," Balt said and began loading his tube, Ryan doing the same.

"Here they come," Michael announced, but the rest of the team was already aware of it as he held up a hand, watching the platform carefully as it game over. As it came straight forward, Michael held firm, waiting for the moment that the other platform began to shift slightly to one side before giving the signal.

As they turned, the Willowbys' platform jumped in front. A chaotic battle ensued as the Slytherin seventh year team valiantly and stubbornly fought on, their combined effort managing to shatter the ice and splatter the snow components of the trebuchet, successfully knocking it down. But none of them were paying any attention to the precision hits coming from Diane in the tower or the improvised attack from the Willowbys, who were busy taking chunks off their outer wall and turning it into ammunition. It was not long before Madame Brittle's sharp whistle sounded to firmly call the seventh years to leave the field. They turned in confusion to see that nothing was left of their castle but a pile of snow.

"Brilliant. Now we're out of the running," Balt seethed. But his expression was no where near as dark as that of Don's when he finally stormed off the platform and straight towards the stands, making a beeline towards his father.

"Two more to go, then we have to deal with them," Garvan said, thumbing over at where Michael's team was trying to salvage what they could of the trebuchet by making more snowballs. "Diana is still a force to be reckoned with, you know. She's as competitive as someone from my house."

"Your house doesn't have the market on being competitive, you know," Chuck snapped at him. "Let's conserve what snowballs we can for the end… and for God's sake, don't borrow any more snow from our structure! It won't last much longer if you do!"

"We won't last long either way," Hope complained.

"Now, don't give up yet," Garvan snapped. "Come on, Michael wants us to finish off Colby's team. And then… well, we'll probably have to try to stomp their outer wall."

"But that might destroy us too! And I certainly don't want anyone to get hurt," Hope protested.

"Then we'll just have to be careful and get their blindside," Garvan said, trying to focus in on their current target. "It has to end somehow, and it's the only chance we've got of taking gold. You can't get ahead by playing it safe all the time, you know."

"Garvan's right. There's nothing wrong with taking risks as long as their calculated risks," Natalie said enthusiastically. Hope rolled her eyes.

"We're Willowbys," Chuck shrugged. "We were born to take risks."

"Fine, but first let's finish these guys off," Hope said, grabbing a chunk of snow off the wall. But Hope soon realized that she needn't have bothered arming herself, for the moment their platform hopped over, Colby and his mates panicked, their platforms feet scrambling to get away and succeeding only in crashing into one of the gates. "So much for them. Where's the other one? The one with Derry and his crew?"

"Looks like Diana's already finished them off," Chuck said, pointing at where one of them had raised a flag of surrender. "It's just them now, Garvan."

"Then this alliance is officially over," Garvan said with a cold gleam in his eye, very much like his grandfather's, although he wasn't aware of it. With a tap of the wand, he sent their platform into the air, ignoring Hope's protest after she was knocked off her feet.

"You're going to make a habit of this, aren't you?" Hope snapped.

"Brace yourself, we're going in," Natalie warned.

"Look out!" they heard Michael shout. But even as he pushed Winnie down to try and escape what he thought would be an inescapable attack, Diana threw a snowball at the exposed spring. The platform dodged out of the way just as Willowby platform came crashing down. Without the spring to cushion its descent, the platform broke apart and their structure collapsed. "Hullo! Everyone all right?" Winnie cried out worriedly, leaning over the wall to grab onto a hand sticking out of the snow. Hope then emerged, ruddy and annoyed but otherwise apparently uninjured, followed by Chuck, who helped Natalie before pulling what was left of their castle off Garvan's back so he could push himself to his feet. He stared up at where Diana peered over the top of the tower with the same deadpan expression she always wore.

"Wow. She's amazing," Garvan said in awe.

"What?" Natalie frowned.

"Huh? Oh, not like that! Definitely not like that!" Garvan explained quickly, flustered.

"Hey! Well played, you four!" Ronnie congratulated them enthusiastically. "Bad luck that charge at the end. You almost had us, you know."

"Thanks, but I think it's obvious it was more than luck," Hope admitted with a sigh. "Just don't think you'll get off that easy during the tournament this afternoon."

There was an exhausted chorus of groans from a reminder, but they only had a moment or two grace before Madame Brittle came to rescue them from the snow.

"Come on, all! There are warm drinks near the judges' stand, and I don't think the discussion will be long on whether or not to make the outcome official. For the most part, everyone seemed to be playing by the rules at the end," she said cheerfully.

"After my brother's team lost, you mean," Michael said, but Danny nudged him disapprovingly.

"You don't give the Slytherin prefects enough credit, Michael. Except for the one warning at the beginning of the contest, he kept in line the whole way through as far as I could tell," Madame Brittle said.

"For some reason, I doubt it's going to stay that way," Michael said in a low voice, and Danny looked up to see Don standing behind his father near the judges' stand.

"I take it there's a protest of some sort?" Danny asked.

"Mr. Coventry has a question about the rules we've been discussing," Rolanda said with amusement.

"Discussing isn't the right term," Anna said. "We've been trying to explain to him that there's no rule against teams choosing different houses as members, and he keeps insisting that we should disqualify the teams who weren't all in the same house."

"Of course they should be disqualified! The entire point of the Olympics is for the different houses to compete against each other and win metals! It's positively ridiculous that any of those teams were even allowed on the field!" Abraxus said.

"Mr. Coventry, with all due respect, the point of the Olympics is most decidedly _not_ to give the houses another means to compete each other, they do that enough on their own as it is," Danny said. "Ultimately, I want them to learn how to challenge their own abilities and compete against themselves rather than one another. This was an open event meant simply as a fun way of filling in one of the winter months. They were allowed to pick their own teams regardless of house, and personally, there is nothing that makes me happier of seeing my fellow Slytherin shaking off the stigma of years gone by and seeking company outside the house from time to time. And I very much hope they get as much out of the experience as I did when I was going to school here. Anyway, that's my opinion. How do the other judges feel about it?"

"I'm definitely with you on this one," Anna agreed.

"If there's no rule against it, it's good enough for me," Rolanda said cheerfully. "Besides, it seems to have worked in Slytherin's favor. If it wasn't for Greisley and Gamban, there may have not been any Slytherin on the podium at all. Great performance by your son, too, by the way, getting a gold. I expect he'll go far," she added, completely ignoring the dark look on Coventry's face and the seething expression of Don's as well.

"We'll see about that," Don retorted angrily.

"Come along, Donald. Let's go to the Pavilions for lunch," Abraxus said.

"Better than sticking around here," Don said venomously, following behind him.

"So… do you still think separating Michael was the right thing to do?" Rolanda asked the moment they were out of range. Anna frowned and looked over at Danny questioningly. But Danny was in her own thoughts, for the answer had grown quite complicated and was not one she knew how to voice.


	21. Investigations Official and Unofficial

Twenty-One

Investigations Official and Unofficial

Ghosts who had not been seen since Halloween floated into the Great Hall halfway through lunch, chatting so noisily that it was hard for the students to actually concentrate on their food, let alone talk to the person sitting across from them without shouting.

"What are they all doing here? Why can't they go somewhere else?" Max Starling complained, holding his ears.

"Where else do you expect them to go?" Cain asked.

"I don't know. Down to the Memoriatorium or something like that… just not here," Max said.

"Don't let the Baron catch you saying that," Maurice advised. "You know what happens when someone to tells him to go away."

"Yes, he gets louder and even more obnoxious, although I'm not sure how they can be any more obnoxious than they are being right now," Max said.

"I think it must have something to do with the fact that Noah is in the tournament today," Maurice conjectured. "It's amazing that he's gotten this far."

"Think he'll win?" Max asked, but Maurice shook his head.

"No, he's been playing an inspiring game but it's not enough to win, especially on a borrowed deck," Maurice explained. "I'd say under normal circumstances, and taking into account who is playing, I would have guessed that Hope and Garvan would make it to the finals, but that's not going to happen now," he said, pointing to where Hope sat with her lunch pushed aside and her head on the table, eyes closed and oblivious to her surroundings. "They're both exhausted from this morning. Garvan went to take a nap, but I don't think it'll be enough."

"Chuck looks all right, though," Cain said.

"He'll definitely be competition, if he makes it all the way through without dropping as well. Personally, I think it's more likely that the final will come down to students who weren't in this morning's mayhem, and when you eliminate those, the strongest competition is Slytherin."

"You mean it's going to come down to us," Max said with enthusiasm.

"Yes, any of us, or possibly him," he added, glancing down the table at where Keir Box sat. Despite the fact he was closer to the end, he had been watching them quite carefully, and nodded with a smug smile on his face.

"Well, that's all right then," Max said cheerfully. "No doubt we'll all be bringing our A-game to the table."

It wasn't long after the Great Hall was rearranged and everyone was set up that Jennifer and Deacon Aldus walked in, both missing a step when they saw the amount of ghosts hovering above the tables expectedly.

"Interesting," Deacon said. "I did hear, of course, about Hogwarts' famous ghosts, but I must admit I wasn't expecting quite so many visible at the same time. Is this typical behavior?"

"Oh um… well, yes and no. I suppose it isn't all that typical, but it does happen during festive occasions, and to them this is very much like a party," Jennifer said distractedly, noticing that Icarus was hovering near the back along with the Fat Friar. They both appeared to be genuinely interested in the competition, while many of the other ghosts seemed to be more intent on simply socializing with one another. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll see if I can't get them to tone it down before the competition starts."

Deacon nodded politely as she excused herself, then gazed at the crowd searchingly, his eyes focusing in on what few others in the room could see. He watched with fascination, puzzling over it, until at last a familiar figure shadowed the light next to him.

"Good evening, Deacon. It has been a while."

Deacon looked up with a thin smile. It was, Peter Gamban knew, the warmest smile Deacon attempted.

"Good afternoon, Peter. I have been wondering if you were going to come over or not," Deacon admitted. "Especially considering that Auror Potter did everything but arrest me before he would allow me to step foot on the property."

"And yet you're here, I see," Peter observed.

"The Headmaster and his wife are complicated people," Deacon murmured. "I can't for the life of me figure them out. Not seven full months have past since the war ended… a war that was in part your father and my patron's doing… and yet here we stand in the very house of one of his most dangerous enemies, and for an event unlike any in the school's history. Are they such fools? Are they so self-assured of their power that they are convinced nothing will go wrong? And why put the students in such a position of danger?"

"I admit I've been wondering about that myself since that dragon incident," Peter murmured, glancing around. "Just as I wonder who is that much of a fool to put my son in danger with such a stunt."

"So is he the reason why they don't consider you a suspect in the attack?" Deacon inquired. Peter stared at him for a moment, then snorted softly.

"Thomas, Auror Potter, and the Headmaster are all very aware that my son's well being is my priority above all else, Deacon. I have always acted in his best interests first, and will continue to do so," Peter said firmly.

"Despite the fact you're still aiding and abetting an escaped criminal?" Deacon inquired.

"As are you," Peter retorted. "You wouldn't be here now if you didn't know where he was."

"On the contrary, I am here for my own personal reasons," Deacon said. "I do have them, whether you or anyone else believe that I am entitled to them or not. My obligations have little to do with my own agenda. Of course, I also need to do my job for the publishing company as well," he added with a thin smile. "I had better check in with the other judges."

"And I with the other parents," Peter agreed, wandering over to a small seating area and a bar where Sirius Black was busy handing out virgin Pumpkinhead Splinters, Sprite Smashers, and regular tea and coffee to the small group of parents who were there to try and make heads-or-tails over what was going on at the card tables. Harry, who was standing at the bar with an untouched Serpentbane punch, looked up with a speculating gaze at Peter, who had sat down beside Thomas. On the other side of Thomas sat Adam Hinge, who had an even more unpleasant expression than usual.

"Peter, you have anything for Adam's headache? I'd ask Jen-girl, but she's busy shooing away the cause of the problem," Thomas said, thumbing over to where his daughter and Professor Ravenclaw were attempting to get the more boisterous of ghosts to move to another room. Peter shook his head. "Where's that son of yours, Sirius?" Thomas called out, looking over at the bar.

"He already has his hands full keeping Peeves occupied, trust me," Sirius called back. "Another coffee, Mr. Gamban?"

"Thank you," Peter said.

"I'll get it," Harry volunteered, bringing the coffee over to where they were sitting and taking Peter's sickles before sitting down on the other side of him.

"Did we need something?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"Don't mind Harry, he just needed a breather after that long walk from the bar," Thomas explained. "So. Did you learn anything from Aldus?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. I simply said hello to the man. Is he too accused of some crime I need to make a statement for?" Peter snapped, glaring accusingly at Harry. Thomas nodded to Harry firmly.

"I think I'll run up to the hospital wing and see if Ginny will let me have a headache potion for Adam," Harry decided.

"Great idea," Thomas agreed. "Don't forget to leave the Mungo's money at the bar. I'd hate to have to book you for stealing."

"You would do it, too," Harry said flatly, dropping off Peter's drink money before wandering out.

"Sorry about that, Peter, you know what he's really after. He's on a man hunt and has a one track mind at the moment, despite how much time he has been spending at the Pavilions," Thomas said in a low voice. "I'm more concerned about getting to the bottom of that dragon business, and I know damn well you didn't go over there to talk about the weather."

"Aldus had the audacity of hinting that I might have done it," Peter muttered with irritation.

"He may have done that to keep you from questioning him further," Thomas pointed out.

"He was questioning the Headmaster's motivation for allowing me on property," Peter said, Thomas raising a brow at him. "I've seen that look on his face before, only it is usually directed at an item he's interested in. He tends to get fixated by something when it baffles him. Right now, I think he's baffled by the fact that the Headmaster allowed these games. Come to think of it, after that dragon incident, I'm wondering about it myself," he added in a mutter.

"The answer is quite simple. It's a fundraiser big enough that he can have more say in budgeting decisions," Thomas said.

"But someone is trying to take advantage of it!" Peter hissed.

"So what else is new?" Thomas shrugged. "I suppose he could call it off, but then what? Try to raise money simply by raising ticket prices on Quidditch and football games? No, crowds are security risks, he'd have to call those off too. I know… a post campaign… no, that won't work either. Someone might curse the mail, or maybe even take over all the Owls and sabotage it that way. It's happened before. While we're at it, I suppose we should just shut down the school. The devil knows this school isn't safe… enchanted items, statues, ghosts… not to mention the school artifacts, paintings, and one of a kind tomes… the text books aren't safe either, come to think of it. You know, you had Garvan tutored until he was eleven, maybe we'd all be better off doing the same until they've passed their NEWTs."

"For someone who came less than a second away from losing most of his family last year, you're been very flippant about this!" Peter hissed.

"It wasn't the first time," Thomas said somberly. "And I doubt it will be the last."

"And that is what I'm concerned most about. Why tempt fate? The next time it happens, your family's luck might run out."

"Why Peter, I didn't even know you cared," Thomas sneered.

"I care about how it'd impact Garvan if the Headmaster, half the staff, and his best friend were gone," Peter clarified angrily.

"Then I trust you will be more willing to help the Headmaster, Auror Potter and myself to track down which ex-member of Equinox is behind this… without your normal defensive stance and cordial dodges," Thomas concluded smoothly. Peter gave him a dirty look. "After all, it isn't as if you need worry about your father's reaction to helping us, is it? He doesn't seem to be a man who would tolerate even accidental involvement of his grandson in something like this. I know I wouldn't."

"Fine, I'll make further inquiries," Peter growled. "But for you, not Potter… and definitely not Clemmons."

"She's too busy working on a side project of hers to worry about what's going on here anyway," Thomas said, brushing it off with a wave. "Oh, here comes Potter with Adam's potion. That didn't take long, did it?" he called out as Harry approached.

"She threw it at me," Harry explained, handing it to Adam who grunted gratefully. "The hospital wing is packed because of the fort event this morning. It was exciting, though, wasn't it? The Willowbys and your son did a great job, Mr. Gamban," Harry added.

"They would have won the gold, had that Hufflepuff girl not had such a wicked throw. Kitane… I bet she'll make Chaser next year," Gamban said.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Harry said.

"Good afternoon, everyone," said a hollow voice, and Icarus floated up beside them. "Mr. Gamban, your son's game isn't going so well. He'll be hard pressed to make it to the next round. I believe this morning's games taxed him."

"I had better get over there," Peter said, immediately getting up.

"How is Maurice doing?" Thomas asked.

"He has a solid advantage at the moment, so I expect he'll make it to the next round. Unfortunately for Noah, I believe Cain will overtake him and make it to the next round as well. Adam, it is good to see you again! How ever did you manage to get a day off?" Icarus teased. "As captain of the prison guard, you're supposed to be there 24/7, aren't you?"

"I believe that honor goes to the Warden, although I'm sure he would like it if I did stay that long," Adam said dryly. "He works me to the bone as it is."

"Of course he does. I had it added to the Warden's contract. 'Make certain Hinge works to the bone.' It was on your contract when you signed it, wasn't it, Thomas?" Icarus said.

"It was," Thomas agreed. Adam stared at him.

"You bastards," Hinge scowled at them, handing the emptied bottle back to Harry.

"I'm sure the current Warden is easier on you than they were, Mr. Hinge," Harry said.

"Some people just don't know how to hold a grudge," Thomas grunted. "Feeling better, Adam?"

"My headache's gone, if that's what you mean," Adam said irritably.

"Good, then let's go over and see if we can make some sense out of that game," Thomas said. "Coming Harry?"

"Thanks, but I think I'll talk to Ick for a minute," Harry said.

"Masochist," Thomas accused him.

"It's the job," Harry explained. Thomas nodded in agreement before he and Hinge walked over to the tournament tables.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Harry?" Icarus asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about my current investigation. I thought you might like an update," Harry replied, glancing around at the crowd before casually walking towards the door.

"I can't say that I'm not curious, although I must admit that I don't understand why you would go to the effort of informing me," Icarus said.

"What effort? I'm here and you're here, we happen to have a moment and it's convenient," Harry shrugged.

"Aurors make their own conveniences, Mr. Potter," Icarus said. Harry gazed at him thoughtfully.

"You know, everyone keeps telling me how lately you've been so sane it's scaring them. I think I understand what they mean now," Harry said evenly.

"Thank you, but I don't see what that has to do with this update of yours," Icarus prompted.

"I suppose I'll start with the fact that the Fisher Trap plant that got into the lake wasn't an accident. Bellamy runs the far side of the lake every morning for exercise, and he happened to notice that the plants just past the course had a strange growth spurt and wondered if there was a connection, so I had Ginger run some tests on it. There were some definite traces of growth potion in the soil, probably left over from someone throwing a small trap seedling in and pouring potion over it."

"Was the potion from the school?" Icarus asked quietly.

"There's no real way to tell, considering all that was left was residue, and diluted at that. To be honest, I can't rule anything out at this point, since anyone coming from the pavilions could have done it. We don't exactly strip search folks coming to the games; we simply look for magic and wands. If the growth potion had been stored in powdered form, I doubt it'd have shown up. Still, I also have to admit it'd have been much easier for someone from inside the castle to do it. One thing I noticed about both of these attacks that they seemed to be designed to cause mischief rather than actually kill someone. My guess is either it's some sort of diversion to hide something bigger or it's a political move to generate lots of parental and security complaints so that Snape would have to face a lot of unwanted heat. It wouldn't be the first time that happened."

"No, definitely not," Icarus agreed with a sigh. "Jennifer and the rest of the staff have been quite expedient at dealing with the situations that have cropped up and at putting everything back on track. Between her efforts, Thomas, and you, school security has never been tighter, regardless of the crowd. Knowing that their efforts have had little effect, perhaps whoever is behind this will get discouraged."

"And if they don't, the gargoyles will step in, won't they?" Harry said.

"God, I hope not," Icarus said somberly. Harry frowned.

"You mean that, don't you," Harry murmured.

"Of course I… what? Oh, don't tell me you think I'm behind that as well! How ironic that Severus expects me to have complete faith in his leadership and Jennifer's security decisions, but when it comes to returning that faith…"

"Wait! Wait, Ick, don't break down on me here, at least not yet," Harry protested. "They didn't say anything to me about you. In fact, the last time I asked about the situation with the gargoyles, Severus told me to concentrate on the man who was attacked and that he would take care of the matter with the gargoyles himself. He even told Thomas to stay out of it, which is why I came to the obvious conclusion that Severus sees it as an internal matter. The person responsible for the gargoyles running amuck is someone residing in the castle. And if that's true, I am willing to bet that you and Caprica know something about it, even if the students and staff don't."

"Harry, you of all people know that even with all the ghosts, paintings, and security that exists in this castle, there are still many ways to keep a secret. Even when one's not trying too hard it can be done; paintings are distracted, sleeping, or living out their scenes, and ghosts are often… well… we're an introverted bunch at heart. We don't know everything that goes on here," Icarus said. "I also think that if, as you say, the Headmaster asked you to leave the gargoyle matter to him, I probably shouldn't be discussing the matter with you, whether I know something or not. After all, I am still employed here, and since I lack anything better to do with my eternal damnation, I'd prefer to keep working here. Now if you don't mind, I would like to return to the game. I need to speak with Noah, for I believe his match should be nearly over by now."

Jennifer propped her head up on the table, watching as Ick floated through the wall wearing an irritable expression she hadn't seen in a while. He had had words with Harry, she mused distractedly, playing with her drink without any intention of actually drinking it. Andrew walked up to the main table with a list in his hand.

"Bored, Mother?" Andrew asked, glancing at the paper before recording the winners and losers on a blackboard.

"I've never been much for cards," Jennifer admitted.

"That's not really surprising. Most card games either involve lying or guarding your emotions so that your opponent can't guess what you're going to do next," Andrew chuckled. "Looks like we're down to Slytherin for the semi-final round."

"You mean Charles the Third didn't even make it?" Jennifer asked with surprise.

"He was so tired that he accidentally made an atrocious mistake that he had no hope recovering from. He played the Miss Young card in the lower catacombs when he had no other staff there," Andrew said.

"And why is that bad?" Jennifer asked as she waved at Corey, who had just walked over to them.

"Because you can't use any of the Miss Young's abilities in a school room marked below ground level unless there's another character card present. In short, she's completely useless alone. If he'd have started her in one of his other rooms, he probably would have won, because once she's on the board, he can move her into a lower room as long as there is a character in an adjacent room. Then she can pass through it to the other side without the penalty," Andrew explained. Jennifer stared at him, bewildered and yet feeling a tad strange as well.

"What a very peculiar rule," Jennifer said.

"I think it's there to make up for the fact that she has one of the highest magic values in the game," Andrew said, sitting down and glancing at the rulebook.

"Actually, it has to do with the character in the book," Corey said with a chuckle, sitting on the table beside her. "Miss Young is claustrophobic. She's known for passing out at random times… typically so that the Meglomaniacs Club have to jump in and take over in any situation a teacher would get in the way," Corey explained. "What usually happens is the club tries to save the day and ends up getting into trouble, and she wakes up and charges in at the last moment to save them."

"Why does that give me a very odd sort of feeling," Jennifer frowned.

"You mean the feeling it might have been based on you?" Corey prompted. Jennifer thought about it then shook it off.

"I suppose it was a silly notion. It's a made-up story," Jennifer said, feeling rather embarrassed about even thinking of it.

"Oh? You'd change your mind if you read anything about Professor Frumpet," Corey said, Jennifer gazing at him curiously. "Actually, his last name is Frump, but all the students call him Frumpet behind his back so it rhymes with crumpet. He's crass and mean and always doing everything in his power to stop the Meglomaniacs Club from taking over the school. I really like him," he added cheerfully. Jennifer squinted. "Ten minutes enough of a break before the next round, Mr. Aldus?" Jennifer turned around to see the wizard had come up to glance at the board.

"Yes, it makes it easier to start on the hour. Down to four, are we? And all Slytherin, I see," he said. Jennifer gazed at him curiously. He was an outsider to the school, and yet something about the way he said that made her wonder if he saw the significance to that.

"Yes… Starling, Craw, Hinge, and Box," Andrew said. "It's not surprising that they made it considering how many times I've caught them talking about that series. I was thinking it was going to be one of them versus one of the Willowbys, since they're all caught up on the series too."

"It was that snow fort contest that did them in," Corey said with a shrug. "Maybe next time they shouldn't be on the same day."

"Next time?" Jennifer repeated in horror, and then realized from his expression that he had said that just to see how she would react. "Very funny, Corey."

"It was, a bit," Corey admitted with amusement. "I wonder what's gotten Myrtle upset?"

Jennifer focused in on where Myrtle was crying at Noah, who had stayed to watch the last rounds. They spoke for a moment or two before Noah hurriedly floated over to them.

"Professor Craw?" Noah said. "I don't know what's really going on, but Myrtle's very upset. She's convinced that someone just tried to break into the Memoriatorium."

"What?" Jennifer blinked, getting up. "I had better go down there."

"Wait, what about backup in case she's right?" Andrew asked.

"Well, you can't go, you're helping with the event. Actually, I think it'd be best if I asked Sirius. His tunnel is right next to it, so it may simply be one of his crew that has her put off," Jennifer said.

"I'll relieve him at the drink counter, then," Corey said immediately. Several people, including Thomas and Harry, watched with interest as Jennifer hurried over to the drink stand and then left with Sirius. Harry frowned, glancing at Thomas, who merely shrugged it off then tried to concentrate on Maurice's game. Harry walked over to Andrew.

"Might I borrow your office? I want to see if that model of the gargoyle has returned inside your miniature castle," Harry asked.

"Sure, let me know if you notice anything," Andrew agreed. "Password is triple-decker liverwurst club sandwich with capers. Can you remember that?"

"Remember it? I'm horrified by the thought of it," Harry said with a grimace before slipping out the back door.

Sirius was only too happy to tag along but doubted that any of his team was involved.

"Sundays are normally their day off, and we're far enough along that there's no reason for them to work today," Sirius explained. "Not to mention the fact that this side of the tunnel is completely finished. We've even finished most of the tunnel under the lake, except for needing a few extra water seals…"

"Please don't remind me that tunnel goes under the lake. Bad enough it's underground at all," Jennifer protested.

"Most tunnels are," Sirius said with an amused smile. "The point is that I doubt they'd even hear an echo of our work now that we're so far out."

"Well, something has gotten her worked up," Jennifer said.

"She could just be trying to get attention again," Sirius said, following her down the stairs to the dungeons. But when she stopped at the bottom, he peered past her to see that the lake gargoyle stood in front of the Memoriatorium door with its arms folded. "Or she might actually have a point," he admitted.

"Lovely. I wondered when he'd show up. Better down here than in the middle of the Great Hall, I suppose," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"You probably shouldn't have said that," Sirius warned, taking out his wand as a precaution as Jennifer carefully tried to see around the gargoyle.

"The door looks in tact," Jennifer said, murmuring a spell. "Even the seal on it seems to be strong. But if everything is fine, what is he doing here?"

"Maybe it's the gargoyle's presence that Myrtle had a problem with? There's normally not a gargoyle in front of this door, after all," Sirius said.

"True. Maybe we should check the closer dungeons to make sure everything is secure," Jennifer decided. "You can check your tunnel, I'll check Potions and my office, and then we'll meet up in the hall and check the cistern access together."

"Sounds reasonable," Sirius agreed. "And it should keep you from getting too heavy-headed if I'm around down there."

"Did you have to say that? Now I'm thinking about that Miss Young thing again," Jennifer said with annoyance as she turned to go to her classroom.

The classroom itself seemed in order, but she double-checked everything just in case, from the individual projects in the cubicles to the windows and the latches on all the cages.

"Glen, have you seen anyone enter here since I've been in here last?" Jennifer asked the painting guarding her office.

"The Headmaster, Madame Weasley, and Mr. Carnegie, Professor Craw," Witolf said.

"Anyone other than staff?"

"No, Professor," Witolf said.

She opened the door to her office (it swung inward now… part of the security improvements Severus had put in two years before) and stepped just inside, glancing around. Her eyes went to the mantle with a frown. The Severus portrait was guarding the Headmaster's Study now, and she hadn't thought of getting a replacement. Sighing at her oversight, she then glanced over to see the potion vault was slightly ajar. But that wasn't all that surprising, considering who Witolf said had been in there. Ginny was often in and out to get supplies for the hospital wing – especially of late - and was often in a hurry. John, also, tended to not shut it all of the way when his hands were full. Opening it and giving a cursory inspection to make sure everything seemed in place, she then inspected the rest of her office, waving her wand as a precaution to see if there was anything out of place. As she finished her sweep and was just about to put her wand away, she caught a blue glowing line out of the corner of her eye and turned around in surprise, focusing her wand on where she had seen it. To her surprise, the magic residue was glowing in the tiny cracks between the doorframe and door that lead out to the balcony.

"What is that?" she murmured out loud, scanning the door itself before slowly opening it, her wand still at the ready.

A dark, looming figure blocked the sun from getting in. She was so startled that she nearly cast at it, until she realized what she was seeing was the back of a stone figure. It was Atrocious; its arms folded as if daring any outsiders to pass.

"What are you doing out here? Did someone try to break into my office?" " Jennifer asked. But that gargoyle hadn't been charmed to speak, and it was probably just as well; the Ravenclaw statue did enough talking for all of them. Frowning at the fading glow around the door, Jennifer shut it tight and locked it, hexing it for good measure before hurrying out to meet Sirius in the hallway.

"Did you run into anything odd?" Jennifer asked immediately.

"Everything seemed to be secure," Sirius admitted. "If anything, it was oddly normal. Even that snake statue was back where it was supposed to be."

"What?" Jennifer said in surprise, stepping around him to look in and see Sashassin in front of the hidden doorway, hissing enthusiastically when he saw her. "What is he doing here?"

"I don't know. I just assumed Severus must have reset them all again," Sirius said. "I take it that's not the case."

"Sashassin has been at the Pavilions or the Quidditch Pitch since the games started. It's the first time I've seen him in here since the reset," Jennifer murmured. "What do you suppose it means?"

"Perhaps it means whoever is moving them is now in the castle," Sirius suggested. Jennifer frowned at that.

"Or something else is," Jennifer said.

"Vague, but possible," Sirius agreed. "To the cistern?"

"Yes, but let's make it quick. I would feel a lot better if I could keep an eye on things in the Great Hall," Jennifer said, opening the door.

"Quick but thorough. I can do that," Sirius agreed, following her down the stairs.

By the time they were down a level, a large black dog passed her and took the lead. Picking up a familiar scent, the dog hurried straight ahead, slowing when he came up behind a man standing with his hands folded and staring at what appeared to be the lake gargoyle, who was guarding the door to the cistern.

"Hey, Padfoot," said Harry.

"Harry, what are you doing down here?" Jennifer asked with exasperation.

"I played a hunch and checked Andrew's model," Harry said. "The cistern isn't really complete on the map, just an empty space placed under the lower dungeons with a stairwell, but the figure was in that space so I came down to see if it was here. I'm thinking that perhaps he just moved here, and considering that the stairs is right next to the Memoritorium entrance, it may be what upset Myrtle."

"Actually, this gargoyle was just in front of the door before we started looking around," Jennifer explained, inspecting it. "Maybe there really was someone in the area that doesn't belong. There are two other gargoyles in the area that weren't here this morning: Sashsassin at the tunnel and Atrocious on the Perch, just in front of my office door. I doubt any of them were moved by chance. There was a reason behind it, but I haven't seen anything out of place."

"Maybe their presence stopped someone or something," Harry said. "Why don't you head back up to the Great Hall until the event is over? I had better let Severus know about it then I need to get back to the Pavilions. I know I said I'd stay out of it, but I admit I'll be interested to see if Sashassin returns tonight."

Maurice glanced up thoughtfully when his sister and Sirius returned and took their places. Then he noticed that Mr. Aldus was giving them the same, speculative look before returning his attention to the final match between Starling and Hinge.

"Must not have been anything to it. Maybe Myrtle was just wigging out again," Keir whispered to Maurice.

"Maybe. But they were gone for a long time," Maurice whispered back, but noticed that Aldus was frowning at them in disapproval and quieted down. He glanced over his shoulder towards the back of the Great Hall where Severus stood just inside the door. Their eyes met only for a moment before the Headmaster then turned and stepped back out. No one else had seemed to notice; not even Jennifer, who was busy speaking with Sirius, Anna, and Corey near the drink booth. Up to something, Maurice decided, but he knew that now wasn't the time to investigate that.

"I need to go. I'll see you in the common room," he murmured to Keir.

"But the contest! You're to get the bronze!" Keir protested.

"Can't be helped, it seems. Duty calls," Maurice explained, and slipped away. Keir Box watched as Maurice slipped out the back, shaking his head.

"I'm so glad I wasn't born in their family. Too much responsibility for me," Keir said to himself before catching Aldus' stern gaze and turning his attention back to the match.


	22. Festival Guests

Chapter Twenty-Two

Festival Guests

Even the portrait of Severus Snape looked tired when Jennifer arrived back at the Headmaster's Study; in fact, he was dozing off, but immediately let her in once he saw who it was. Upstairs one of the double doors was open, so she went in and closed it behind herself. After glancing up, Severus quickly rolled up what he was working on.

"Is that our last Ancient Magic test before the holiday?" Jennifer inquired.

"Do you really want a failing mark before you even enter the classroom, Professor Craw?" Severus said.

"I'll not breathe another word about it," Jennifer promised, pointedly pushing up her spectacles before dropping into her favorite chair with a tired sigh.

"So, who won?" Severus asked conversationally, straightening his desk for the evening.

"Oh… Cain did, actually, although for some reason Maurice left before he claimed his medal," Jennifer said, frowning at the chessboard. "Are you actually losing that one? You seem to be rather surrounded."

"Looks can be deceiving, I'm merely taking a tactical position," Severus said unconcernedly. Jennifer gave him a dirty look.

"Well, I don't know what you're up to, but I do know that something happened around my office and I'd like to talk to you about security down there. We need to find a painting to put in my office while Professor Rogue is guarding your door. I'd prefer to have eyes and ears in there. Perhaps one of the Corey portraits?" Severus suggested.

"I have a better idea," Severus said, looking up. "Why don't you ask Minerva if she would mind sitting for a replacement portrait? After all, hers was the one that was originally made to guard that room."

"Why, Severus! That's a brilliant idea! Do you think she would?" Jennifer said brightly.

"More than likely," Severus said.

"I think I'll ask her for tea, then, or perhaps… to stay over for Christmas? Everyone is going to be here, after all, and I'd not want her to be alone for the holidays," Jennifer said.

"I don't see why you shouldn't. She isn't exactly a security threat that I know of," Severus said.

"I should hope not," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "Do you want me to find out what set the gargoyles off?"

"No, that is the last event inside the castle, and it's obvious whoever was behind it was thwarted. I'll have others look into it… right now you should concentrate on finishing those midterms and getting them posted before the festival officially starts. Until then I don't want anyone in the castle but students and staff unless accompanied by faculty. Then, starting on Boxing Day, I need you to have Bellamy and Andrew take over for you on ground and pitch security, and perhaps ask our untrusting friend to the castle some afternoon for some fresh opinions. We need to get that prototype done, so expect to spend that week with me in the lab."

"And what about Quintin?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm sure we'll have no problem in covering that. All I need to do is wait until the Christmas Eve gathering and hint that we need a babysitter for a week and we'll have no lack of volunteers," Severus said. "But school business first for the next three days. Don't you dare get distracted by rumors of who is arriving at the Pavilion."

"Really? Like who?" Jennifer asked brightly, but Severus immediately put his scroll in front of his face.

"In," Severus said, pointing to the curtain, and Jennifer smiled beatifically and went into the sitting room.

* * *

><p>Jennifer was just as anxious as the students to finish that final test, tapping her fingers impatiently in a way that very much distracted the students unlucky enough to still be working on their exam during the last fifteen minutes of her class.<p>

Finally they were done, and Jennifer fervently marked the last written test before retreating to her office to grab her potion testers, trying not to look at the clock for fear of marring the results of the test phials that her students had turned in. Feeling relief when she finally finished, she rushed for the nearest lift and straight over to the daycare room to pick up Quintin. Pausing only to exchange a few quick pleasantries with Ashley, Jennifer was back in the lift and walking over to a rather bored-looking Andrew who was guarding the main entrance.

"Professor Craw and guest, heading to the festival to explore," Jennifer said cheerfully.

"Does that translate to a relative scavenger hunt?" Andrew asked, checking her name off the list.

"Well, I know where you are, at least. Any of the staff heading home this year?"

"Only the ones who don't have anything to do with the events planned over the holiday… in other words, we're all stuck here," Andrew said dryly.

"It isn't as if you have anywhere better to go, is it?" Jennifer pointed out. Andrew scowled at her. "Goodness, you look so much like your father when you do that. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Have fun," Andrew said unenthusiastically as the two of them left.

"Down," Quintin demanded the moment they were off the stairs.

"What, in that mess? I should say not," Jennifer told him. "Let's see if we can find your wayward sister first." With one arm around Quintin, Jennifer took out her watch and flipped it open with her thumb, having to immediately hold it out of Quintin's eager reach. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not looking at the time; I'm trying to look for Lucky. Now stop that!" she protested.

"I see ya have yer hands full," commented an unmistakable voice, and Jennifer looked up, smiling brightly.

"Hagrid!" she said with a laugh. "Goodness, it's been ages! Halbert, how are you? And where's your wife? I've yet to meet her!"

"Oh, she an' Olympe are at the pavilions putting the tent in order. They decided we were in th' way… and we wanted ta see where Andrew was first," Hagrid added in a lower voice.

"It's terrible how Andrew doesn't seem to like her. Andrew hasn't said two words to me since Nevera and I were married this summer," Halbert said. "He hasn't even answered his post. I'd very much like to see this remedied."

"Well, you're in luck. Andrew is sitting at the main doors running security for another two hours, so he isn't in a position to run. Let me write you a note so he can't use security as an excuse for not letting you in," Jennifer said with a wink, moving to put Quintin down.

"Here, let me have a look at 'im, Jennifer," Hagrid offered, and Jennifer gratefully handed Quintin over. Quintin stared at Hagrid as if not quite sure what to make of him, frowning but not making any threats to cry. "So this is the lucky lil' devil who's gettin' raised in the castle, eh? Bet that's been no picnic."

"It's definitely been rough at times, but very much worth it," Jennifer said happily, getting out a book of hall passes and scribbling on one of them.

"That must have been some fight with the board. I expect they figured it wasn' safe at first," Hagrid prompted.

"He's a Snape, and therefore he's not safe no matter where he is, last year proved that," Jennifer said. "And as such, he's safer with us than anywhere else. Here you are, Halbert," she added, handing him the pass.

"Merci, Professor Craw. Perhaps I'll go get us some sandwiches as a peace offering first," Halbert said.

"I think that's probably a good idea," Jennifer agreed. "He isn't in the best of moods today."

"Oi, lucky me," Halbert said, waving and walking to one of the stands.

"Mind if I tag along with the two of you a bit? Lend an extra arm or two?" Hagrid suggested.

"That'd be quite lovely, thank you, and we have so much catching up to do," Jennifer agreed cheerfully. "I do need to track down Lucky, though…"

"Go wherev'r ya like, I'm just here for the comp'ny," Hagrid said. "Maybe I can help track her down, since I can see a bit bett'r over the crowd."

"True, if you can recognize her. She's changed quite a bit," Jennifer said with a grin, taking out her watch again. "It does say she's in the Quidditch Pitch."

"In tha' case, might take all day to find her," Hagrid chuckled as they walked into the pitch.

A huge white tarp had been artfully and brilliantly stretched out over the entire stadium, covering both the boxes and the seats, the taught ropes creating arches of sunlight all the way around. The field below had been cleared and dried and was now filled with game booths, food, and trinket vendors, as well as a few modest rides such as a carousel, spinning saucers, and on the far side of the pitch nearest the pins, a baby creatures animal ride.

"Hey, Jennifer! How about we take him over there? He might like that," Hagrid suggested eagerly.

"I should have known," Jennifer laughed. "Oh, all right, I suppose a few minutes won't hurt. It'll give you a chance to say hello to Sagittari, too."

"I hope his hair isn't greying as much as mine. I've had three kids stop and ask me if I was Father Christmas already," Hagrid complained.

"I never knew he was quite so tall," Jennifer teased. "Ah, here we are! Let's see what mount they have hitched to the posts."

"Good afternoon, Jennifer… and you also, Rubeus," Sagitarri said politely as they stepped over to the railing. "I see you are well."

"Bit older, bit thinner, but still holdin' my own," Hagrid decided. "You?"

"I am the same," Sagitarri said solemnly.

"Good… I think," Hagrid answered. "Hullo! How did you get your hands on the Sleipner?" he said, quite impressed by the old eight-legged horse that was gently being led around a circular path.

"Ah, it is a loan," Sagitarri explained. As the beast walked back towards the front, with a wide-eyed tot on its back, Jennifer got a good look at its cheerful blonde handler.

"Why, Dale! What are you doing in there?" Jennifer asked with a laugh.

"I admit I have selfish reasons," Dale chuckled, helping the little girl back onto the platform. "I've always loved these horses, so I agreed to do the television charity this year as long as I could borrow the Sleipners again. This one is actually a retired old gelding, but he's very gentle and I thought he'd be enough of a novelty that it'd attract some interest."

"I'll say! There ain't more'n two dozen of 'em left in Norway as I understand it, an' only one trained team! Ambassadors, of sorts… and yet you managed ta borrow one?" Hagrid said in awe. Jennifer grinned. Hagrid wasn't the sort of person who was impressed by anyone _singing_ his way to fame. But he was impressed by anyone who was able to even temporarily acquire any ultra-rare magical creature.

"This is only the second time I've had access to them, but I was very glad to bring old Thor here," Dale said, patting the Sleipner and getting a soft nudge in return. "Sorry, I think he's ready for another passenger."

"He can handle another half an hour, then I think it'd be wise for him to rest and let us bring out something else of interest," Sagittari advised.

"Here, then, let's have Quintin get in line. I doubt he'll get another opportunity," Hagrid insisted.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an arm around him, Professor," Dale reassured her.

"Oh, very well, but do be careful," Jennifer insisted. "By the way, where is Lucky if you're here?"

"As far away from me as she can get," Dale snorted. "It's all right, she's at the Pavilions, taking up a room in Pyther's tent, presumably recovering from our midterms."

"And why is she angry with you this time?" Jennifer asked, a hint of disapproval in her tone.

"She thinks she may have missed question twenty-eight, and she's mad because I curbed her temptation to sneak to the Professor's office to do a number switch on it. Apparently I'm a criminal for allowing her to get one wrong on her calculus exam," Dale said, strapping Quintin in.

"Mercy, that is a crime. I'm glad you stopped her. Who knows what kind of trouble that may have caused," Jennifer said.

"Try convincing her that," Dale said.

"I'm sure I could, actually. She just didn't want to hear it from you," Jennifer said.

"Ouch, Professor," Dale said, but with a grin. "You never pull your punches, do you? Did you pick that up from her or the other way around?"

"Touché, Dale, now please pay attention to what you're doing," Jennifer insisted as the old steed trod around a slow circular path while Quintin seemed quite excited about the whole thing.

"Look at that, Jennifer! You have a nat'ral with animals there!" Hagrid decided.

"Quintin does not seem to lack for hidden talents," Jennifer said dryly.

"Oh! Where is my sketchbook!" came Alicia's voice from the other side of the rail. "Dale, hold it right there, please give me a moment!" Smiling, Jennifer walked around to see Alicia and Francis standing there.

"What, no children?" Jennifer complained.

"In this crowd? Trust me, Mum, they're better off hanging out with the others in the tent. I know I'm feeling all closed off and I've not even gotten under the main tarp yet. Can you back him up a bit?" Alicia asked.

"They have trouble backing up," Dale began to explain.

"That's all right, just send him around one more time… oh, sorry," Alicia said to a young boy who was chewing on the rail while he waited for his turn.

"Honestly, I should have brought my camera," Jennifer said.

"It wouldn't have worked," Alicia said distractedly, sketching.

"I meant my regular camera," Jennifer said.

"Besides, photos have no soul," Alicia said.

"It's a lost cause, you know. She says that all the time," said Harry, who had stepped up between Jennifer and Hagrid. "Hey, Hagrid."

"Harry! Look at you!" Hagrid beamed, giving him a hug. "Been busy since this summer, eh? Haven't gotten a single post from ya lately."

"All the time I'm not out hunting I've been here at the school," Harry said.

"Harry has been helping us with security over at the Pavilions," Jennifer explained.

"Oh? Bet that's exciting," Hagrid chuckled.

"I get a few altercations between the parents in the late hours, and every now and then a drunken wand fight that gets nowhere. Overall it's been friendly," Harry shrugged.

"Drunken? Didn't know it was that kind of party over there," Hagrid chuckled.

"We've officially banned vendors from selling alcohol, actually, but of course it gets in anyway," Jennifer admitted. "As long as they don't bring it on the grounds proper, I'll let Harry handle those sneaking it in."

"I'll have to look into it myself later… what I mean is, I came straight o'er to the pitch, so I'm curious what's been done to th' place," Hagrid said.

"I was getting ready to head back over there now if you want to tag along. Actually, I came out here to warn Jennifer that the gargoyles are out in full force," Harry said.

"Gargoyles?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"Here or at the Pavilions?" Jennifer asked, frowning up at the sky and towards the pitch.

"Both, actually," Harry said. "Come on, Hagrid, let's walk back over."

"Good to see you, Hagrid. Oh, and please say hi to Olympe for me and ask if her if she and your daughter-in-law if they would like to have tea with me in the castle sometime during your visit," Jennifer said with a smile.

"I'm sure she'd like that," Hagrid said, waving as the two of them walked off.

"Sissy!" Quintin demanded, holding his arms up as Alicia put away her sketchbook and helped him off the loading platform.

"I can't believe how big he's gotten already," Alicia said, bringing him over to Jennifer. "Mine are growing like weeds, too. I sure will be glad when I have this last one and I'm done with it."

"Yes, well, don't forget your father's advice on that subject," Jennifer chuckled.

"No, no… I'm sure this is the last one," Alicia said firmly.

"Oh, yes. So were we," Jennifer said with amusement. "Just thinking about the fact that Quintin was nearly never born gives me a chill. And to miss the entire experience of raising one in the castle! What an adventure it's been already!" Jennifer said happily, taking Quintin and hugging him.

"Yeah," Alicia said uncomfortably, watching them a moment before shrugging. "Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, after all. But I'm sure I'm through!" she added fervently, earning a shake of the head and a smile from her mother. "And Rel's quite sure he only wants one, so don't bug him, either." Jennifer looked more thoughtful at that.

"Well, I admit he's quite resolute, but I suppose only time will tell," Jennifer said. "Probably in about eleven years time." Alicia frowned but then nodded at that in understanding, glancing past her mother.

"Speaking of the devil, here he comes now," Alicia said in an intentionally loud voice so Aurelius could hear her.

"Complements will get you nowhere," Aurelius said. "Are you sure you should be out in the open like this, Mum?"

"Just what sort of greeting is that? Really, Rel, there's little for you to worry about. I'm sure Bellamy is being quite diligent watching over things, and we Snapes are never completely off guard, are we?" Jennifer tsked. "Any reason in particular why we should be worried?"

"Only that there are gargoyles stationed all over the place outside… and not only the main ones… even small ones I only thought were castle decoration before are perched on the turrets and fencing around the pitch. On top of that, Corey is absolutely convinced that something is going wrong, so I'm not the only one on edge," Aurelius said.

"Corey's uneasiness about this Christmas festival has much less to do with now and much more to do with his first year at Hogwarts," Jennifer said in a low voice. "Have any of the gargoyles bothered anyone?"

"Not that I know of, although they are blocking all the side entrances, making it so that they have to enter from the far sides of the pitch," Aurelius said.

"That sounds like it'd make Bellamy's job a lot easier, actually," Jennifer said.

"And just what exactly does Father think about all of this?" Aurelius sighed, frustrated with her answer. "He can't be happy that he's lost almost complete control over them."

"I'm certain that if you father felt he didn't have control over a situation with the castle, he would tell me," Jennifer said smoothly. "Now, it's almost Quintin's snack time, so why don't we go see if we can find a booth with biscuits? Someone told me earlier that one of the goblin booths were selling gingerbread bells."

"I think I hear them," Aurelius said, wondering what his mother was keeping from him as he led her through the bustle and over to the crowded booth. Several other parents stood with younger children at the stand, including Taylor Brittle and Gloria, who, it seemed, had decided she deserved a second try at the whole bell gingerbread thing.

"This time don't eat the clapper straight off, eat the other end instead if you want it to ring," Taylor told her. "Here, don't expect another one."

"Ring! Ring! Ring!" Gloria sang, shaking the gingerbread, which rang with every shake. "I like them! Mummy needs one too! Let's get Natalie one!" she suggested enthusiastically.

"You little con artist, you're just hoping I'll give in and let you have them later," Taylor said knowingly.

"Having fun shopping?" Jennifer asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, hello. Yes, I suppose, but it doesn't feel like we're getting very far at the moment," Taylor admitted. "There's too much to do, and so many options here… much more than the Christmas Festival we had when I was in school."

"True, but those were different times," Jennifer smiled.

"Not all that different," Aurelius put in.

"Ignore him, he's had too much of father's influences on him lately," Alicia said. "Are you looking for something for Natalie?"

"Yes, actually, and also something for Danny if I can find a way to pick something up without her catching me," Taylor chuckled.

"Well, for Natalie, I'd suggest trying the main Mungo's tent. There are some goblin-made crystal figurines in there that we just got in for the festival. As for Danny… have you tried Tassels and Panning?" Alicia suggested.

"Now who's channeling Father?" Aurelius challenged her.

"I'm afraid that'd be a bit too conspicuous, since those two intentionally rented a booth near where the staff come in and out to give Severus opportunity to look," Jennifer said with amusement. "But Maryced's has a booth just outside the Pavilions now, and Danny doesn't often have a chance to go over there. We have carriages running back and forth from there too until after the holiday."

"Thanks… did you eat the clapper off again, Gloria?" Taylor realized with exasperation.

"Maybe I should get some of these for the younger relative Christmas parcels," Aurelius said. "I bought some colored boxes and candy from the Honeydukes stand already."

"What a good idea! It's practical and always appreciated," Jennifer said in approval.

"It's also inexpensive, and most of our budget is tied up these days," Aurelius said, then noticed how his mother was beaming at him. "Don't even bring it up."

"Such an exciting Christmas this is going to be, Aurelius, really! Not as exciting as yours will be next year, perhaps, but exciting nonetheless!" Jennifer said happily, ignoring the dirty look Aurelius was giving her. "Oh, there is Lucky at last!"

In fact, Lucky was moving at a very quick pace, searching the crowds fervently until she noticed Jennifer and hurried over.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you," Jennifer said. "What a nice coat!"

"Never mind that, I think you're in for some trouble, Jackie," Lucky warned. "I just saw Abraxus a few minutes ago and he's in an even worse mood than usual, complaining like crazy to Dalance about the gargoyles. Abraxus told him they were running amuck and that Dad hasn't had any luck controlling him."

"Ah lovely! He's had some words with Don, no doubt," Jennifer said, pushing up her spectacles. "Would someone take Quintin to the juice stand?"

"I've got it," Alicia offered.

"Thank you," Jennifer said. "Let's meet over at the Three Brooms tent."

"I'm going to finish shopping then I'll be over there as well," Aurelius said, and Jennifer nodded to them with a smile before casually wandering over to where a rather tired-seeming Eric Dalance was listening to Coventry's complaints.

Abraxus stopped abruptly, so Eric glanced around curiously to see Jennifer approaching. He gave her a lopsided smile, warm but cautious as if wondering whether or not he should be relieved from her apparent intervention.

"Good afternoon!" Jennifer said as she approached. "So what do you think?"

"About what?" Abraxus asked suspiciously.

"About the festival, of course," Jennifer said.

"It's quite well organized; lots of vendors, something for everyone," Eric offered.

"Hermione, Anna and Bellamy did most of the organizing, really, I just had to approve everything and decide who was allowed where," Jennifer admitted with a chuckle.

"Bellamy again? He seems to have a part in everything, doesn't he?" Eric said with open interest that Jennifer had no trouble catching.

"He's been a very important asset to the school over the year and a half he's been here, and has definitely done his fair share lightening everyone else's load. He's got a lot of energy," Jennifer grinned. "He's been a godsend to me with the security this year, for certain."

"Ah, yes, about that," Abraxus interrupted, ignoring Eric's look of warning. "I want to know why so many of the gargoyles are away from their posts in the castle and out on the grounds."

"I suppose we all have things that we want to know that is probably none of our business," Jennifer said calmly. "You're no longer a member of the board, Abraxus, and even with you were, I'm quite certain that the school does not need to divulge all of our security procedures to the board, simply to monetarily account for them."

"I am speaking as a concerned parent! A parent who has heard some very alarming rumors about these gargoyles being out of the Headmaster's control!" Abraxus snapped.

"You have the right of pulling your children out of the school if you don't feel they're safe, although I wonder if it's their safety or your own that you are worried about," Jennifer said unconcernedly, sliding her spectacles down and gazing at him over the room. "After all, our gargoyles have already caught you once breaking our security rules, just like they caught your fellow order member in the stands. Just what was he doing up there, Abraxus?"

"What? I had nothing to do with that, and it has nothing to do with my question!" Abraxus said heatedly.

"Actually, I was the one who asked a question. You simply made an accusation," Jennifer pointed out. "And I have too much to do right now to answer to every parent who tries to make waves for their own selfish reasons. It has been decades since the school has had this many guests on property, and despite the people attempting to undermine these games, I intend to do my job to make sure that this school, faculty, and all of its students get through these events safe and sound."

"If that is your way of implying that I have something to do with any security problems you've been having, you are once again quite out of line. Have you forgotten it was Slytherin on the field during that foolish dragon business? I'd never have done anything to hurt my son like that!" Abraxus snapped.

"But Don wasn't on the team that night, was he?" Jennifer asked quietly. Abraxus stared at her.

"Slytherin is my family, Professor Craw," Abraxus said coldly. "And if those gargoyles hurt anyone in my family, you will hear from me."

"I'm sure I will," Jennifer agreed, allowing him the opportunity to storm away in a huff.

"Have a cup of spiced tea with me?" Eric asked when Abraxus was well out of view

"Perhaps a quick one, thanks, I have to meet the family at the Three Brooms holiday tent," Jennifer said.

"Exactly where I had in mind," Eric said cheerfully. "You stood your ground very well, Jennifer. I expect you'll get your fair share of icy looks at the ball tonight."

"Hm, I suppose I would be if I were going," Jennifer said and the two of them started across the pitch.

"Not going? Since when do you not go to a ball at Hogwarts? Especially one dedicated to the Orphan's Placement Fund," Eric said in surprise.

"Security, I'm afraid," Jennifer explained.

"You work much too hard, Jennifer," Eric tsked her. "I don't know how you do it."

"Just motivated, I suppose," Jennifer laughed softly.


	23. Holiday Spirits

Chapter Twenty-Three

Holiday Spirits

By the time Jennifer and Quintin got back to the sitting room, Severus was already in his dress robes and digging unsuccessfully for a particular pair of cufflinks.

"Draped sleeves are in this year," Jennifer offered as she put Quintin down.

"You know how little I care about that. Where are my mirrored cufflinks with the voice charm on them?" Severus asked.

"The last time you lost them, you declared that you wouldn't lose them again and then hid them somewhere in the study," Jennifer reminded him.

"Oh," Severus said. He pushed back the curtain and walked into the study with Quintin following close behind.

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin complained.

"What? I just fixed my desk clock for you yesterday," Severus scowled as he sat down at his desk and began opening drawers. Quintin's green eyes stared at him from over the top of the drawer as he searched. "Perhaps we've been humoring this little quirk of yours entirely too much lately. You have become a time tyrant, and we've been allowing you to become one."

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin repeated.

"No. You're not too young to learn that the world isn't perfect. Here, have a biscuit and go play in the nursery. Rasputin?" Severus called out. There was a reluctant answer from the other room.

"Pu," Quintin declared and toddled to the nursery, nibbling the biscuit on the way.

"Did you find your cufflinks, Severus?" Jennifer asked, poking her head in from the sitting room.

"Just now, they were right were I put them… somewhere safe from your misplaced earrings," he added for good measure.

"Where's Quintin?" she asked, ignoring the comment.

"In the nursery. I bribed him with a pumpkin-raisin biscuit," Severus admitted.

"Oh, no. Now he'll be harder to get to sleep!" Jennifer sighed with exasperation.

"You have to stay up for security anyway," Severus reminded her.

"Hopefully I won't have to keep him in the observatory with me," Jennifer said. "Are you going to dance while you're there?"

"Yes, I'm already booked solid," Severus said expressionlessly, putting his cufflinks on.

"You're quite funny," Jennifer said, unimpressed.

"I've made arrangements to sit with Anna, Sirius and Lindsay," Severus said. "Don't worry, you won't miss much."

"I expect I'll miss some fireworks," Jennifer said. "I don't suppose Anna warned you she has a guest tonight?"

"A guest?" Severus squinted.

"Your uncle," Jennifer explained. Severus stared at her.

"Fine, I'm not going," he said flatly.

"Oh, but you have to! It's much too late to back out of this arrangement now," Jennifer protested. "My father had to sit out this event too, you know, and he'll be very put out if he hears you don't go." Severus groaned deep in his throat.

"Fine, if I must. But I will get even with Anna for not warning me about it," Severus vowed. "No need to wait up, you know, if it lasts longer than your security shift."

"I'll wait. You'll need someone to vent to," Jennifer explained.

"Perhaps," Severus grumbled. "Feel free to call me back for any emergency. No matter how small…"

"Try to enjoy yourself anyway, Severus," Jennifer said with a chuckle, ignoring his dubious gaze as he turned and left.

Jennifer sighed, glancing around the office to make sure it was secure and then checking the maps for movement. Checking the time, she went to make sure everything was ready for Quintin's night routine before opening the map and glancing at it.

"Armando, would you please let me know when the final bed totals are in and ask Demura to cross reference it to Hermione's list of the students staying in the Pavilions or at home?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, Professor. I'll let you know if anyone is unaccounted for," Armando agreed.

"Thank you," Jennifer said, then checked the time again before walking into the nursery to retrieve Quintin.

Jennifer was quite unsurprised when he was staring at her wide-eyed from his bed when she finished getting him ready for bed that night, more than a little annoyed at the fact he was given sugar so late after having eaten such rich foods at the festival.

"I don't suppose you can ask the Fiddlers Three painting to come for a visit? I do need to get up to the observatory deck," Jennifer said to her portrait. The portrait smiled enigmatically and left the frame only to come back a moment later with Professor Rogue in tow, violin in hand. "Well that's all well and fine, but who's going to guard the study door?" Jennifer asked. Her portrait pointed at herself with a smile and left the frame. "Very well, thank you. I suppose I'm leaving him in good hands," Jennifer decided. There was a low snorting sound from below her. "Yes, yes, you and Ratfly too, Rasputin."

Jennifer then went up to the telescope, unlocking the swivel and seating herself comfortably before turning it towards the wall and veering it downwards. It took several minutes to get the telescope's filters to cooperate at the level she wanted, but finally she was able to see into the Quidditch Pitch and focused in to where the ball was being held. Jennifer let out a wistful sigh as she looked at the guests, for most of them appeared to be having a good time. Severus seemed to be slightly bored, Jennifer noted, and the fact that Sirius was attempting to entertain him seemed to make him even less amused. One of his hands went behind his back and signed a word. Knowing it was directed at her, Jennifer turned her attention to the gargoyles, frowning when she noticed that all of them were the smaller ones that normally decorated the tiny niches, eaves, and parapets of the castle. Where were the larger gargoyles that had been so irritatingly and stubbornly present up until that point?

There was a gentle knock but Jennifer didn't answer at first, more than a little afraid that trying to get up would make her lose her focus and all she would see was the wall of the study.

"I suppose it would be a bit much for me to ask whether or not I could disturb you," came the voice of Icarus.

"Oh, it's just you then," Jennifer acknowledged, glad she wasn't going to have to move her position.

"Aren't you going to the ball? I've never known you to miss one, at least when it was here on property," Icarus observed thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately, we're on high security right now, Ick, and it was rather important that Severus attend tonight," Jennifer said.

"So? You could have done your security shift during the day and let Andrew take over the evening one," Icarus said.

"It's not that simple. Current rules for high security includes that Severus and I be separated… with one of us being in the castle at all times. That way, if someone does manage to cast that Erase spell, we can at least be assured one of us is still around to care for the remaining members of the family," Jennifer explained.

"And what if your father is down there?" Icarus inquired.

"He isn't. In fact, it was his suggestion to add the rule," Jennifer admitted, looking through the telescope again.

"He is a wise man, although I wonder if his motivations are a bit different than yours. Knowing Thomas, he probably wants someone alive to seek vengeance," Icarus said.

"True, but family is my reason for agreeing to it," Jennifer said. "Have you noticed that there are even more gargoyles out of the castle than usual?"

"Really?" Icarus said emotionlessly. "Perhaps it is because there are more people out on the grounds than usual."

"It doesn't change the fact that those gargoyles shouldn't be there. They should be at their normal posts," Jennifer said, still looking through the lens.

"You could always call them back," Icarus suggested.

"If I did, they would all take flight, disappear, or melt in front of all our guests… worse, if whoever is behind their movements sees their retreat, he will probably just call them back and then everyone will be even more alarmed," Jennifer said.

"You have a point," Icarus admitted. "So what does the Headmaster plan to do about them? If their movements are getting more alarming as you say."

"I don't know, although I keep getting the feeling he knows more about it than what he's telling me," Jennifer said, focusing back on the ball. "Well, as far as our guests are concerned, everyone seems to be behaving at the moment," she decided, and then began to raise the telescope to look over the tracks. "Why is it that you're here, anyway? Did you need something?"

"No, I was just concerned about you missing a ball. I thought you were ill, or perhaps absorbed in that item that you and Severus are making to combat that spell," Icarus suggested.

"Well, not yet. Severus and I are going to spend the entire last week of holiday in my lab trying to get something put together," Jennifer assured him. "It's funny in an odd sort of way, isn't it?"

"Try me, I'm known for my morbid sense of humor," Icarus suggested.

"Well, it's just that it's not as if the spell wasn't always there," Jennifer said, propping her chin up on the scope. "Foncé had always known it, he could have at any time used it before had he a reason… or he might have passed it on to someone before this point… one of the very many people out there who want us dead. It was always a possibility, really, and I could name any number of different situations where someone could have taken advantage of it and would have succeeded if they had known it. And yet now that everyone knows about it… in a way I suppose I would have liked it to go on not knowing…. instead of us losing sleep over it anytime we think about the possibility for too long. There is simply nothing more terrifying than the thought of all our children and their children getting snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Nothing."

"Keeping Severus awake too, is it?" Icarus asked quietly. Jennifer grimaced.

"Don't you dare say anything to Severus about that slip…" she threatened, but Icarus put up a ghostly hand in protest. "I suppose considering how your family died you have no idea what we're going through…"

"Oh, no, you're quite wrong in that, Jennifer," Icarus interrupted before Jennifer had a chance to get worked up on that topic. "You are forgetting something quite fundamentally important here, because _you_ are my family… you and the Ravenclaw line that follows you… through Alicia… and through little Dawn. Knowing that my mother's legacy lives on in your line helps me keep what little sanity I have left. And yes, it's true I'm a simply a distant uncle of your line, but I too, am quite concerned about that spell. And there are a great many people close to you who are even more concerned than I am that either of you would consider holding these Olympics in light of the clear and present danger, regardless of the extra precautions you are taking."

"We can't let the fear of this thing control our lives, Ick. If we do, the fear wins, and we're not giving into it. We must do what's best for this school, students, and yes, even our family… regardless of whether or not such a spell as Erase exists or not," Jennifer said firmly.

"I understand, Jennifer," Icarus said with a nod. "But I hope you realize that there are some among us who are letting fear dictate their responses, and they, of course, do not understand your reasons for holding these games at all." Jennifer gazed at him thoughtfully, but Icarus seemed to be looking out the observatory window towards the light of the Pavilions. "Do you care if I visit Quintin on my way out?"

"He should be asleep by now," Jennifer said.

"He's not," Icarus said calmly, and sank through the floor. "I'll see what I can do to correct that."

Jennifer leaned on the telescope a few minutes more, lost in her own thoughts. Finally she sighed and focused the telescope to continue her surveillance.

* * *

><p>Yule was spent in Pyther's tent with the whole Snape family in attendance, marveling over the large log that sat in the circular firepit, which was in the middle of the living area. The days in between Yule and Christmas were mostly spent shopping or helping out with the booths at the festival.<p>

Inside the castle proper, it seemed empty and lonely as it often was during the holidays. Students not staying in the Pavilions would leave just after breakfast and not return until just before curfew; so except for the flurry that came at those times, the castle became quiet with only the soft caroling of ghosts and the quiet chatter paintings sounding in the halls.

Noah couldn't help but be disappointed at the turn of events. He had originally been delighted that nearly everyone staying over during the holiday, but soon grew bored of the festival and all of its material attractions and found himself sitting on the stands and watching the snow. Leu was spending most of his time with family, and Noah's hints that perhaps they should start on their over holiday homework met deaf ears as Leu spoke about the festival, gifts, family politics, and of course, Christmas.

"Grandfather has forbidden me to ask for shirts, socks, and underwear this year," Leu informed Noah when he finally caught up with him on the stands. "So I suggested that book I've been trying to find for my history report, but he didn't seem keen on that either, considering that he rolled his eyes at me and then asked Mum if I've had a checkup lately… not that I see what that has to do with anything. Besides, I'd much rather give presents than get them. They've all given me too much already."

"Can we please talk about something other than Christmas?" Noah pleaded. "We could talk about what events we want to join or see after we get back from the holidays, or maybe we can work on that history report…"

"Oh, that's not due until after we get back. We're just supposed to be gathering resources," Leu reminded him.

"Then how about we go to the library tomorrow?" Noah suggested brightly.

"What? Tomorrow's Christmas Eve! Natalie's birthday, remember? I won't have time," Leu said, Noah slumping again. "We're going to Corey's tent for that… apparently my cousins are not allowed out tomorrow. Corey's gotten all nervous and wants to keep them all together, so I'm afraid you won't be seeing them for a couple of days."

"I haven't been seeing much of anyone lately," Noah said irritably. "Nobody's been staying in the castle much."

"Oh, I'll be in the castle on Christmas, at least. I'm spending the night up in my mother's sitting room, so we can be together Christmas morning if you want," Leu suggested.

"Just call me when the holidays are over," Noah said glumly, fading away. Leu frowned at that and slowly worked his way back down to the festival, realizing there was really little he could do to cheer his friend up.

* * *

><p>Christmas Eve was a very cold, clear night. It was because of that fact that Noah heard the sound of church bells ringing against the mountains. It was midnight, Noah decided; Christmas. He sank through the floor into the common room and past through it without any interest to the tree or what may or may not be under it, for none of that applied to a ghost. He went to the Service Room instead, where the Fat Friar would surely be in attendance.<p>

As he neared, he realized there were other spirits nearby besides the Friar… a great many of them, in fact. As he floated into the room and saw hundreds of lit candles, he remembered Myrtle telling him about some sort of Christmas ceremony the some of the castle ghosts participated in; something they called the Procession of Light.

"Is that you, Noah?" Nearly Headless Nick said in surprise, his head turning strangely to look at him. "Why, Ick, you were right after all! He did come this year!"

"Is it all right for me to be here?" Noah asked cautiously. Icarus materialized, carrying two candles.

"Yes, it is Christmas, after all," Icarus said. "But please stay with the gathering, and return to your room when the party is over."

"Thank you," Noah said. Icarus nodded solemnly to him and left. "He's not staying?"

"That's all right, Noah, we'll have more fun without that wet blanket," Nick snorted. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to mention the "w" word. Why don't you get a candle for yourself?"

"I'll show him how," said Myrtle's voice and he felt a familiar tingle around his arm, tugging at him. "Come along, Noah!"

"So you're here too?" Noah said in surprise, following her down the aisle.

"I come every year. You're the one I've never seen here before," Myrtle said.

"I never really felt like leaving the boat house at Christmas before. Except for last year, I suppose. I think I spent most of last year looking out the window at the lake," Noah explained.

"Never mind that, you're here now," Myrtle said, leading him over. "Two candles, please, Friar Tucker."

"Here you are, Miss Myrtle," Arvis said cheerfully. "And here you are, Master Noah. My goodness, it is so good to see you here at last! I didn't know you were even planning to come."

"I was hoping to spending it with Leu, but apparently he's too busy," Noah said irritably.

"Christmas is for families, Noah," Arvis smiled. "And you are a part of our family, which is why we're all glad you made it this year."

"Come along, Noah," Myrtle said. "We'll go after Sir Nicholas in the procession. It's simple, really. We just carry our candles through all the halls, and even through the towers, ending at the bell tower. It's a ghost tradition, you know… a symbolic blessing of sorts, to keep Hogwarts safe in the coming year."

"Aye, it's a very solemn yet joyous occasion," Nick agreed, hovering over to them. "Many a Headmaster has said that the castle wouldn't have survived to this day without its benign spirits to help guide its path. In the olden days, the Headmaster and faculty would stay up on Christmas Eve just to watch the procession and listen to the carols."

"We have to sing?" Noah asked.

"No-no, only a few do, really, most of us find it too serious of a duty, although I'll admit that I am grateful that some do, all the same," Nick added in a low voice.

"I'm not. It's all silliness," the Baron said as he past them on his way up to get a candle.

"You can attempt to be personable one night a year," Lady Charlotte chided him, gathering up her ethereal dress as she stepped aside with her candle.

"I do my part only for the sake of the school, not for the sake of tradition or holiday," the Baron said gruffly. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Isn't that right, puss?" Mrs. Norris simply looked up from washing her paw and stared unblinkingly at him. "Shouldn't we have started? It's nearly one… confound it, where is Mad Ick? He knows he has to be here, as the ghost of Ravenclaw house."

"I'm sure he'll catch up," Arvis said unconcernedly, getting up. "After all, he did have two candles with him."

"A lot of good that will do," Baron said. "And what about that cat? Are you going to stop pretending long enough to hold your own candle, puss?" The cat simply stared back at him.

"It's all right, I'll carry it for her," Arvis said. He took the candle, while in his right hand he bore a staff that had both a candle on top and a bell dangling from the bottom. "Shall we proceed with the procession?"

Two by two, they followed the Fat Friar out, some visible while others only showed the candles they were holding as if they were floating in the air on their own. He led them towards the back stairs to first travel the halls around the Memoriatorium and work their way up, slowing walking down every corridor. Noah could hear several in the back singing their carols softly. It was barely above a whisper, and yet the sound traveled all the way to the front… quiet and solemn, but sometimes with a hint of joy; an echo of happier memories from their former lives.

"I wonder if anyone put up mistletoe in the corridors?" Myrtle whispered flirtatiously, still clinging to Noah's arm.

"Never to my knowledge," answered Nick from just ahead of them. Myrtle glared at him in response.

"Professor Craw isn't likely to waste a component like that," Noah whispered back. "Besides, if you're after what I think you're after, I'm not ready."

"Well, I am," Myrtle said disappointedly, but spoke no other word about it as they followed the others up to the next floor.

At the very top of the main stairwell near the rotund skylight, a gargoyle with large wings but an otherwise human-like muscular figure perched with his arms crossed, scowling as the haunted host came into view. Beside him hovered Icarus, still carrying two candles as they watched the procession.

"It is a foolish tradition. They protect nothing by this silly display. It is there only to appease their own restless consciousness and does nothing for the school. It's trivial and meaningless nonsense," the gargoyle snarled.

"Yes, I suppose it would seem so, to you," Icarus said quietly. "But I see it as pledge of support for the school. Even if some ghosts serve in a very limited capacity because of their constraints, they do serve in their own way. The entire castle strives to protect its inhabitants in its own way, whether it is by serving the Headmaster directly, or simply by blessing these hallowed halls. Surely you see that."

"I see nothing but a bunch of sorry spirits doing nothing but dithering about and running upstairs and downstairs like Wee Willie Winkie," the gargoyle said critically. "I suppose it's better than doing nothing but making the problem worse, which is all Snape has been doing lately."

"In that, I believe you're quite wrong. He is doing his best under the circumstances…"

"Pah! He's a fool, as are you to believe otherwise. He has opened the doors of this castle to his enemies, just to secure their coin…"

"Are the parents of the castle's students our enemies?" Icarus interrupted.

"At least one of them is," the gargoyle snarled and then took off in anger, flying through an open window. Icarus looked after him thoughtfully before shrugging in resignation, descending through the middle of the stairwell so he could take his place in the procession.

Across the tracks, Maurice Craw stirred in his sleep. It was a hissing noise, he realized, and he sat up, quickly rubbing his eyes and grabbing a heavy night robe to throw on. Pushing his slippers on he then hurried to the tent door, unsurprised to see Sashassin's cold, stone nose pushing its way through.

"I'm awake," Maurice said, and the gargoyle moved out of the way. Maurice slipped out of the Pavilions and over the tracks where the large human-like gargoyle was perched on the awning of the train station.

"I'm here, sir, although there is nothing to report," Maurice called up to him. "It's been very quiet. Everyone went to bed at a decent hour, although I'm sure it'll be rowdier tomorrow night."

"Do not take the fact that it is a holiday for granted. There always will be opportunists attempting to take advantage of anyone who has their guard down. What of Coventry?"

"He, Beth and Don retreated into their own tent some time ago. I doubt he'll be up to anything when he has his kids in there," Maurice reasoned. "Besides, my sister went out of her way to question him, and I think she would have thrown him off the premises right then and there if she thought for a moment that he was behind what's been going on."

"He is an enemy of the school," the gargoyle snarled. Maurice let out a silent sigh. "Do not forget that. Now go, before you are discovered."

"Yes, sir," Maurice said, and trudged back across the tracks. It was getting quite cold now, indicating just how late it was as Maurice made his way back to the main pavilion. Sashassin still stood to one side of the door, quiet and statuesque once more… and yet there was a strange flash of warning that glinted over the gargoyle's eyes that made Maurice wonder.

"Just what are you doing out here in the snow? And in your bathrobe, no less!"

Maurice jumped sky high at the sound of his father's voice, turning around to see him standing by the pavilion with his arms folded.

"I… had to take a leak is all," Maurice said. Thomas squinted.

"Care to try again? There is a facility in the pavilion, as you know perfectly well," Thomas reminded him.

"True, but…" Maurice paused to try to think of something, and then happened to glance at the ground and at the snow gathering around their feet. "Well, I can't exactly practice my writing in there, can I?"

"Your wr…" Thomas squinted, glancing at the footprints trailing away from the farm. "And just what were you writing? And to who?"

"It wasn't anything lewd or anything like that, Father," Maurice said defensively.

"Really? If I had gotten up in the middle of the night to write in the snow at your age, it most definitely would have been lewd. Now, get back to our tent and into bed before I forget it's a holiday," Thomas said dangerously. Obediently Maurice walked ahead of him, leaving Thomas shaking his head as he followed his son back into the pavilion.


	24. Metals and Springs

Chapter Twenty-Four

Metals and Springs

It was fortunate for Jennifer that despite the busy holiday, Severus had not broken his routine of getting up before dawn. By the time she had awoken fully and made her way down to the Potion Lab, the children had already been dropped off at the Pavilions and coffee and pastries were on the breakfast cart waiting for her. Severus was busy scribbling at her office desk, taking her back to the far off time when this was his territory rather than hers. She hadn't lingered at the door for more than a second or two before he noticed her.

"I think I have found a way to test our magical device once we've come up with a prototype," Severus said. "I am writing a rudimentary document and then making copies. Suppose we attach the item and cast the erase spell on these with it on… it would it protect it, correct?"

"No, the charms needed to protect a person rather than an item are quite different," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps the item charm itself is different, but the temporal anchor charm would be the same, so we could at least test my end of it, correct?" Severus pressed. "The anchor doesn't care if an object was alive or not, only whether or not it's made up of matter."

"Wait, wait…. I think I need some of that coffee before you start spouting off rules or lack thereof of temporal magic. Fancy you filling my breakfast cart," she teased.

"It is for us and our guest, not for students," Severus pointed out sternly.

"Don't tell me Aldus is coming today. We don't have anything but a bunch of formulas on paper! Wouldn't it make more sense to invite him when we have something to show?" Jennifer asked with exasperation.

"Actually, I gave him an open invitation to call this week whenever he finds it convenient. What did you want to start with?" Severus asked.

"I suppose setting the materials for that second test prototype," Jennifer sighed, managing to get a cup of coffee down before joining Severus at the table.

It wasn't long before the two of them got lost in the process. Severus watched intently to some of the metal weaving Jennifer was employing while she did the same when he worked on getting the temporal charm to bind to the material. Icarus stood silently at the door for several hours until someone cleared his throat right behind him. He faded away just as Severus looked up to see Deacon Aldus stepping into the doorway.

"I hope I'm not interrupting…"

"Not at all, we just finished the set on this one. Come on in," Severus said. "We've been working on a temporal protection for inanimate items to test the temporal charm's effectiveness."

"Fascinating, although item protection and living protection do not work the same in magical devices," Aldus said, stepping up.

"Even so, I am hoping I can confirm that my half of the equation… the temporal anchor, so to speak. I want to be certain it is working as intended before we attempt to test it on anything else. I'm not comfortable trying a device even on a lab mouse if I doubt my anchor is holding," Severus explained.

"Fair enough," Aldus replied cordially.

Taking a moment to inspect their handiwork, Aldus then stepped back, speaking only when addressed but otherwise watching their progress with fascination. It was not only what they were attempting to do that fascinated him; it was how they worked together, often answering the other person's questions without having been asked, and almost instinctually backing up the other when needed. By the time they got to the testing stage, Aldus was more than eager to participate, acting as point as the two of them made adjustments and voicing potential problems when he saw them. After repeated attempts at casting the Erase spell on the documents wrapped up in the band, the three of them decided they had made enough progress for the day. They settled in Jennifer's office with coffee, sandwiches, and in Aldus' case, another bowl of the Cauldron's porridge.

"Well, that went fair enough, although it's not going to be as easy to convert that sort of item to a personal protection item," Jennifer admitted with a sigh as she sunk into one of the arm chairs.

"No, I should say not," Aldus agreed. "Might I ask why you are experimenting with that particular gold alloy for the personal device? It seems a rather strange choice to me, for I would expect something of this nature to be a bit more stable for long-term use."

"Actually, we based it on the metal composition of a Time Turner," Jennifer explained, "since we know for certain that it has no trouble holding onto temporal charms over a long period of time."

"That is quite true, but the purpose of a Time Turner is very much cross purposes to that of a device which attempts to protect from time manipulation. I believe you might be better off with something that is based around a common basic element, and weaving the charm around it or sandwiches between it rather than attempting to inundate the metal with it," Aldus explained.

"So something such as carbon, or iron," Severus mused.

"Or even both," Aldus suggested.

"Carbon…or perhaps diamond?" Jennifer said with interest. "Blithers used diamonds to harness the time stream when he created his time-stopping device, do you remember Severus?"

"All too vividly, thank you," Severus said. "So much so that I abhor the thought of using them. What about making a steel alloy?"

"Yes, Headmaster, in my opinion, that would be the most ideal conduit for a protection device of this nature. It contains both carbon and iron, which are not only the most common material elements in our universe, but also what we life forms are mostly comprised of, except for water. It would therefore have no trouble keeping stability over long periods of time, and being some of the oldest elements in our universe, it should also be impervious to it," Aldus agreed.

"Which is also going to make it harder to make it compatible with my charms, will it not?" Severus said.

"Trickier," Aldus admitted, and Severus turned to Jennifer thoughtfully.

"I think I know how to make it work, but I'm going to send Tony a quick Owl to confirm a couple of things first. Tomorrow, we'll need to start working on some alloy samples. It may take some time to find something workable," she admitted.

"All right, Jennifer," Severus said in resignation. "What do we need to do to proceed?"

* * *

><p>Leu followed Maurice out with his hurley stick in hand and his Spingoline Boots tied together and over the other shoulder, glancing at the snake gargoyle as they left the pavilion. The gargoyle was so still now that it could have been mistaken for a regular statue had Leu not known better. It was quite cold out, but the sun was warm and the gently blowing snow never seemed to actually land.<p>

"Are you quite sure the Quidditch Pitch will be open for practice?" Leu asked as they walked around the farmhouse.

"I should think so," Maurice said. "The ski jump is set up on the football field, and the rest is either near the lake or inside. And since the Pitch has that tarp over it, hopefully it's dry."

"It's all rather quiet, isn't it?" Leu commented after they passed the tracks and walked around the lake.

Maurice wasn't certain what he was talking about, for a steady stream of people wandered by in both directions, as well as the occasional coach ride back and forth. But inside the Pitch many of the holiday booths had already been broken down, and all of the vendors from Myrkinbrek were no longer there, leaving just a small bundle near the stands made up of ones from Hogsmeade, the St. Mungo's booths, and a Flourish and Blott's tent. Near the base of each of the stands was a small warming stove, and a gentle breeze moved through in an attempt to warm the rest of the area surrounding them. The track that had only been a paint line in the dirt before was now much more defined, while the center area seemed to be broken up in quarters. Dozens of students whose parents had stayed over at the Pavilions were already there practicing various events, while others gathered in the stands with chess and go boards between them as they practiced.

"There's nothing quiet about this," Maurice commented at last, shirking off his wool cloak. "I don't think we'll have much trouble finding anyone to practice with."

"I suppose not, although I didn't mean the crowds so much as there doesn't seem to be much movement above us," Leu explained in a lower tone. "Look up between the holes in the canvas, Uncle Maurice. There isn't a single gargoyle in sight anywhere. The only one I've seen was Sashassin, and he was completely inactive."

"I don't think she was inactive," Maurice said with a shrug.

"Do you suppose they found out what was causing them to go off on their own?" Leu said.

"I doubt it," Maurice shrugged, glancing around. "Look over there, Leu. Mike's warming up and getting ready to run the footrace track again."

"Really?" Leu said, peering over in the same direction. Noticing Delia in the stands nearby, he waved at her. "But I thought the rest of the track competitions weren't starting up again until March."

"They aren't, but the footrace is probably the most important part of the Hexthalon," Maurice explained. "You really need to place to have a shot even if you do well in the other competitions. If you don't do well in one, you have to win it."

"So Mike has to win, all because of that wand switch," Leu concluded.

"Yes, but as you can see he's quite determined. He was Sorted into Slytherin first, after all," Maurice said thoughtfully, watching as Mike slipped off his shoes and lined up.

"I suppose. I just hope Don doesn't try anything else," Leu murmured.

"He won't unless he can do it without disqualifying himself," Maurice said. "Anyway, do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Leu asked.

"You always sound worried about things… the gargoyles, Mike, your other friends, including Noah… yet you seem to spend more time worrying than actually doing anything," Maurice said.

"I should think I have plenty of reasons," Leu said defensively. "Don't you get worried about things?"

"I never let it get that far. The moment something goes on that concerns me, I get as much information about it as I can and then do what I can to alleviate the situation," Maurice explained, sounding rather annoyed.

"I don't see what I can do about any of this," Leu said. Maurice sighed with exasperation.

"Llewellyn, I know you may not have been born with the Craw killer instinct or the deviousness of a Snape, but you're still a part of this family. You need to stop wasting your time just sitting and worrying when there are more productive things you could be doing. I suggest you think about the traits that you were born with and put them to some use… like your innate curiosity, for example. If you learn how to ask the right questions and to whom, you'll find out that there is a lot you can do to make things better. At the very least, you'll find out whether or not whatever is on your mind is worth worrying about to begin with," Maurice said, glancing up at the stands thoughtfully. "Being a Snape gives you a very important advantage when it comes to asking questions, you know."

"In what way?" Leu asked with interest.

"Because there are very few doors closed to you. You can approach people that common wizards or witches wouldn't normally approach and ask them anything you want. Consequently, if for some reason a door is closed to you or someone refuses to answer, there is a reason, and sometimes that reason is even more revealing than if they answered," Maurice explained. "Why don't you try it?"

"I wouldn't know where to start," Leu said, not completely understanding.

"Try looking up there then," Maurice suggested, nodding up to the stands. Leu followed the gaze and noticed Harry Potter sitting in the stands by himself, watching Mike's run intently.

"What do you suppose Auror Potter is doing there? I thought grandfather told him he could take the week off. Why isn't he out looking after dark wizards or something?" Leu asked.

"Good questions, but you're asking the wrong person," Maurice pointed out. "I'm going to go find some mates to practice sparring with."

"Oh. All right," Leu said, watching him walk off before he reluctantly climbed up the stands. Harry glanced up at Leu as he approached and noted his wary expression, giving him a smile in return.

"Hey, Leu," Harry said, looking back at the track.

"Am I bothering you?" Leu asked solemnly.

"No, just watching the practices. What do you need?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, really," Leu said, but Harry was looking at him expectantly. "I was just watching practice as well."

"Have a seat, then," Harry said. "Are those jumping boots?"

"Yes, I'm on the Ravenclaw Wizard Hurling team," Leu said.

"I saw a league game once. Really hard to follow at times, though, it'll give you a pain in the neck unless you're watching from high up," Harry commented.

"I like it," Leu said. "Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you didn't have to be here this week. Surely there's something else you ought to be doing."

"What? Have you been talking to my wife or something?" Harry grinned at him.

"Sorry. I was just wondering. Are you watching Mike Coventry?" Leu asked.

"I happened to notice him out here on the way through and decided to get a feel for how he's going to do during Auror training this summer," Harry said.

"I'd say he's right ready for that. He's first in Bellamy's physical class," Leu said.

"I've no doubt he'll do well on physical trials. But being an Auror is a lot more than that. You also need to be magically and mentally strong, and able to outthink your adversaries… who are going to be willing to do things that you won't do."

"Are you worried about what Don is going to pull as well?" Leu asked.

"No, I wouldn't call it worried, exactly. I'm just keeping an eye with how Mike is handling the situation with his family in general, as well as how he handles the next time Don pulls something," Harry said.

"Maurice doesn't think Don will pull anything that'll get him disqualified," Leu said.

"Probably not, but that doesn't mean he won't pull something. He could easily do something to Mike during regular school times that would affect his performance," Harry pointed out. "Mike is definitely going to have to stay on his toes."

"Well, Don's not here right now. He and Beth went home for a few days until the term starts again," Leu said.

"Sometimes you can learn a lot about people if you watch how they behave when they're free to make their own choices and what they do with their time," Harry explained. "Mike's been working quite hard on the Hex, when he was so determined to get top scores in NEWTs at the first of the year. Do you suppose it's the medal that he wants?"

"No, I rather think it's more than that," Leu said, pulling a knee up and propping his head on it thoughtfully.

"Trying to get the better of his brother, then?" Harry suggested.

"No, but that's Don's motivation, obviously," Leu said. "I guess Mike is just trying to prove himself… to himself, really. Not to other people. I don't think he cares what other people think."

"And at the same time he is probably aware that a lot there are others who have higher expectations in him than he does, despite how his family treats him," Harry added. "Your father went to a lot of trouble to make sure that Mike had a chance to make something of his life, as did a few other faculty members. They all know he's capable of more than the fate his family had in mind for him. I've had some experience myself being the invisible child… the one tucked away to keep from causing trouble or embarrassment to the rest of the family… although in my case, it was a cousin. Scares me to think how much my cousin and Don are alike in some ways, although fortunately my cousin isn't magic. I'd hate to think of what he'd have been like if he had been."

"What happened to your cousin?" Leu asked curiously.

"Last I heard he had some sort of desk job in London, married some girl as thick as he was who thankfully wasn't keen on children. That was four or five years ago, though, and the only reason I heard about it was because he decided to pressure my aunt and uncle into a retirement home so he could have the house," Harry said. "Honestly, it serves them right. He became exactly the person they raised him to be. Anyway, that part isn't important so much as the fact that I left that situation only to climb onto a train and find out that I'm an expected hero. Not that Mike has had that to the extreme that I did, but I know that any positive encouragement that has been handed to him over the years has probably been met with internal skepticism. He's not going to take anyone else's word that his life means something; he has to prove it to himself."

"Sounds like a good thing to me. Too many people around here take their stable family lives for granted," Leu said.

"True, but sometimes it's hard not to envy it as well," Harry said. Leu thought about that in silence for a moment.

"I think I'm going to go find some others to practice with now," Leu said at last.

"Sure, nice talking to you," Harry said.

Leu went down the stairs, glancing around and wondering where Maurice went. Shrugging, he decided to check where the mounted events were staged, but none of the creatures seemed to be out at the moment. Frowning, Leu went over to the gates to see a rather bored Andrew standing in front of the doors with an open book in one hand.

"Good morning, Leu. Out for practice?" Andrew asked with a smile.

"Yes, but I was looking for Noah," Leu explained.

"Well, we're not letting anyone in except staff and students currently staying in the castle until term starts, but if I see him, I'll let him know that you're looking for him," Andrew said. Frowning, Leu walked away, slowing a bit as he gazed at the side of the castle.

Getting an idea, he cut through the football pitch and around the side of the castle, eyeing the towers carefully before coming up near the far wall and putting on his boots. Taking a few jumps to get up momentum in height, Leu jumped over to the tower, peering in the windows to try to see in his dorm room. It took several times to find the right room and then another two jumps to get a good look in, but when he did, he yelped in surprise, for Icarus was standing at the window, staring at him.

He wasn't quite sure how he managed to land on his feet considering how far he was leaning backwards after that shock. Frantically he focused on landing on his toes on the second bounce, clutching his pounding heart and panting as Icarus floated down and eyed him critically.

"Just what are you up to, Llewellyn Murphy?" Ick asked suspiciously.

"I was just looking for Noah. I thought if he was in our dorm I could get his attention," Leu explained.

"You also very well might have gotten the gargoyles' attentions and then you'd really be in a fix, wouldn't you?" Icarus scolded him.

"They don't see to be around much today," Leu said.

"Gargoyles aren't really supposed to be noticed. Just because you haven't doesn't mean they're not around. Besides, I am quite sure the Headmaster wouldn't be amused at the way you are using those boots any more than I am, so I suggest you take them off and go back to the Quidditch Pitch where you can use them for what they are intended," Icarus said, thrusting a ghostly finger in that direction. "Or would you like me to find you some extra holiday homework to do?"

"I don't take your class…" Leu pointed out, but seeing that the dangerous spark in the ghost's eye wasn't abating, he wisely decided to retreat and look for some housemates to practice with.

It was several evenings later as Leu and the Willowby children were trying to teach Amber how to play Wizard Euchre that Jennifer arrived, kempt and yet tired in appearance and smelling rather strange.

"Any luck?" Alicia asked, lounging on the couch with a tower of cushions behind her back.

"Yes and no," Jennifer said with a sigh, putting Quintin on the floor and effectively disrupting the card game. "We ended up calling in some outside help, actually. Tony Dannon was more than a little concerned with how much magic I had to manipulate to create the metal alloy I had in mind, so we brought in Boulderdash to help. We have a makeshift forge set up in one of the other dungeons so we can make sheets of the different samples, but since we also need to weave Severus' spell in the metal, it's going to take a bit more time. We're to use a sort of folding method to work it in; layering the metal with the spell. The good news is that once we're done, the item should be virtually indestructible and there will be no danger of ever losing its protection over time. Of course, it does mean we're going to have to keep up with the tactic of only having one of us seen at any given time in public for a while longer, since we're still vulnerable until it's done."

"It'll be all right, Mum, especially with so many eyes on the castle right now…"

"Yes, well, both good and bad sets of eyes as you well know," Jennifer pointed out. "Get your things together, Leu. I still need to go pick up Quintin from your grandfather's."

"Pick up or rescue?" Alicia asked mischievously.

"I'm quite certain they both kept it civil," Jennifer tsked. "If anything, it's been a blessing that Father is such a creature of habit when it comes to time. As long as he kept to Quintin's schedule, I doubt there will have been too many disasters."

But Jennifer realized she had spoken to soon when she arrived at the Craw tent to find her father standing over a table filled with cogs, wheels, and pins that were laid out like pieces of a puzzle.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jennifer asked as she stepped over to the table.

"This is the dissected contents of my goblin pocket watch," Thomas muttered, Jennifer wincing in response. "Your demon kept insisting it was broken, and after the third attempt at placating him, I handed it to him and dared him to fix it. You are witnessing the results."

"But goblin watches are notorious for keeping exact time… they're self correcting," Maurice protested. "Maybe he was just curious to see how it worked."

"Perhaps he was complaining about another clock in the house," Jennifer suggested, glancing around.

"No, this is the only one I use, and Fleur and Maurice also have goblin watches. We didn't bring any wall clocks from home," Thomas said, carefully putting all the pieces in a box. "I wonder how Gribitz is going to react when I show him this… come to think of it, it might be safer just to buy a new one."

"Sorry, Dad," Jennifer said, forcing herself to keep a stern face when she picked Quintin up. "You have been very, very naughty, young man!"

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin explained.

"No, bad Quintin. And I expect your father will have to come up with one of his insane schemes to break you of this habit of yours," Jennifer warned him, carrying him outside.

"Do you really think he can be broken of it?" Leu asked, following her out.

"Your father already mentioned to me before that Quintin needs to learn that the rest of the world doesn't function on perfect time, Llewellyn, and I really think he's right, although I have no idea of how to convince a boy Quintin's age of that," Jennifer admitted.

"I don't either, but I hope I'll be safely across the castle in my dorm room when it happens," Leu decided, Jennifer grinning at him in response.


	25. Not Quite Synchronous

Chapter Twenty-Five

Not Quite Synchronous

Severus woke up early the morning before term resumed and buried himself into the daunting task of planning his next board meeting and to work out the Olympic event schedules. In fact, he was so absorbed with those daunting tasks that Jennifer was having a very hard time trying to get him on the subject of Quintin. Finally he sighed and adjusted his spectacles, looking up at her.

"I rather think the solution is quite obvious, although it will be rough on everyone affected by it," Severus said. "We will have to take him off his daily schedule."

"What? Have you gone completely mad? You know how he gets when someone breaks up his routine, Severus!" Jennifer said.

"Yes, which is why we need to start now before it gets worse," Severus said. "Do you happen to have your supply estimates for the potion lab so I can add it to the budget report for the governor's board?"

"I'll go get it," Jennifer said reluctantly, stepping through the curtain.

A few minutes later, there was a quick knock on the open doors and Hermione strode in.

"I'm back," she announced, walking up to the desk.

"So I see," Severus answered, shifting some papers to her side so she could peruse them.

"I take it that it's been quiet since I didn't get any Owls. Any trouble with the gargoyles?" she asked.

"No, they settled down just after Christmas. Not one seen out of place nor were there any strange movements, although I'm sure you noticed that my door guard hasn't returned," Severus said.

"Interesting. The fact that it was quiet over the holiday probably means that whoever is behind this left the property," Hermione mused.

"No, it is more likely that whoever was instigating the gargoyles to respond at all had left the property," Severus said calmly. Hermione gazed at him thoughtfully.

"Abraxus left late Christmas Eve, didn't he?" Hermione asked.

"So did a very many other people," Severus reminded her. "And as you recall, Jennifer questioned Abraxus herself to make certain he had nothing to do with that dragon or lake incident."

"Yes, but just because we know he didn't that doesn't mean others know or even believe it," Hermione pointed out. "Someone still might suspect him. Maybe if we had some idea what the true motive behind these attacks are it would help. We're only guessing that it's someone attempting to undermine our security. We don't know if our guesses are right or not."

"Perhaps we'll get more clues now that we're hosting so many events inside the castle in the next couple of months," Severus suggested.

"About that," Hermione began with a sigh, tapping the paper with the events in front of them. "A few of the professors with major subjects are concerned on how many events we have packed for the end, considering that their reviews will probably overlap the last week or two. "

"I was just noticing that myself, actually. We had it arranged so that certain events would take place in warmer months, but with the modifications to the Quidditch Pitch for the winter festival, we could theoretically double up on some of these during the weekends and thin it out a bit. Have we already sold tickets to the rest of the field and team events?" Severus asked.

"No, we've only sold tickets for the winter events scheduled for January," Hermione replied.

"Good, then let's get what we can moved up. How were the mark averages for the first half of the year?" Severus asked.

"Well, they are a tad lower than normal… assignments are coming in a bit rushed and some of them are distracted during tests, but I from what I've heard and observed myself, they are making an effort to keep up," Hermione said carefully.

"All the more reason to move up what events we can," Severus reasoned. "Besides, I'm also not blind to the fact that my staff has been far stretched with everything going on. The sooner this thing is over the better. Do you happen to have the fundraiser total for the first half?"

"I can have it to you before classes in the morning," Hermione promised, but then paused. "Are you going to report the full total to the board?" Severus blinked at that.

"That was my intention. Why wouldn't I?" Severus asked.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to ask yourself that when you see the totals are," Hermione decided with a smug look. "I had better write something up about the schedule changes to put on the bulletin boards in the house rooms and at the Pavilions and then touch base with the staff… but I think I'll let you be the one to tell Jennifer she's going to have to double up on some of her security staff," she added, making herself scarce.

Severus grimaced at that, wondering if there was a way to soften the blow. Then he shrugged. After all, it was a school matter, he reminded himself. But she was not likely to be happy about it.

* * *

><p>Leu arrived at breakfast to find Noah already waiting for him.<p>

"And just where have you been? I was expecting to see you last night at least," Leu complained.

"I've been spending some time with the other ghosts," Noah explained. "I really didn't have anything better to do with you gone all holiday."

"I did try to come see you, but nobody would let me in the castle by myself. You know what security has been like," Leu said.

"Yes, I do, really. Did you get all of your homework done?" he asked.

"Ages ago," Leu said. "Did you hear they might be moving a lot of the track and some of the team games up?"

"They are. Professor Ravenclaw told me that the Headmaster wanted to lighten the schedule before the test crunch and had Professor Weasley reschedule them," Noah confirmed.

"I wonder how badly that's going to affect all the Owls signed up to assist," Leu murmured. "I suppose I best go over there at lunch. I have a feeling that volunteer chart of ours is a bit of a mess right now."

By the time Leu arrived in the Owl Room, several of the others were already there. Hope and Jessica were leaning over a Go board, a black stone hovering in air as its owner decided where to go. Many of the others were staring at the chart, including Mike and Kim. In fact, Kim looked like she was about to pull her hair out.

"I can't do it, I just can't. No matter how many ways I look at it, I'm going to have to drop out of sparring if I'm going to make all of the team games," Kim said at last.

"It isn't as if Craw didn't have sparring in the bag anyway," Jessica shrugged.

"Bite your tongue! I'm still in it too, you know," Hope said indignantly.

"Have there been many conflicts?" Leu asked, walking over to the chart and flipping over some pages.

"A few when it comes to the team events," Hope said. "Natalie is going to miss the next Quidditch game so she can compete in the familiar finals."

"I don't blame her for doing that, she's the only non-flyer left in the competition," Leu said. "What about with assisting games?"

"I can't assist with wizard skiing for sure," Kim sighed. "And I think Paula was supposed to assist with football but said she can't."

"She's going to compete in Wizard Go with us," Jessica said. "Scribe hinted she might give a few bonus points to some of us beginners for competing and believe me, she needs the extra points in history this year."

"I was going to assist Go and Chess, but neither of those are going to happen now with the footrace scheduled for February. I don't have much time left," Mike said grimly.

"I could probably pick one of those up. I don't have to assist again until late spring," Leu said. "I think I'll do Chess, it's safer. I'm still not sure I understand all the rules in the other game."

"It isn't the rules that get complicated, it is all the different combinations that can happen when you're playing it," Jessica said, her stone dropping into place on the grid. "Maybe you could talk Maurice into it, Mike. He seemed to follow it quite well, but didn't have much interest in playing."

"He might if it doesn't conflict with sparring," Mike decided with a nod, and then began pouring over the chart again, following names with his finger.

Librarian Boulderdash came in from his office, glancing at the students at the board before climbing up on the stool at his tome repair desk with a sound that was more of a groan than a sigh.

"I'm glad to see you're all actively making adjustments to the schedule," he said.

"If we're any example, there will be a fair few," Kim said. "I for one am going to be kept quite busy."

"Oh, you're far from the only one," Boulderdash snarled. "I have been volunteered against my will to help with security over the next three months." Leu looked up.

"What do you mean by 'volunteered against your will?'" Leu asked.

"Your mother has a talent for that," Boulderdash grumbled with irritation. "She called several of the faculty and one or two school friends for a 'friendly' lunch, and systematically began handing us security duties for the remaining winter months. I may as well have been a lower officer in a bank board meeting. Regardless of the tactics, it does mean you may be seeing less of me short of school hours and scheduled library times, so if you need to speak with me about something, don't be surprised if you have to schedule an appointment."

"Sounds like everyone is going to be busy," Kim said sympathetically, taking a seat.

The door opened and Helena hurried in, closing it quickly behind her.

"You all right? You look a bit out of breath," Mike asked with concern.

"Oh… your brother again. He was following me," Helena explained. "I suppose I'll eat lunch in here today," she added, grabbing a sandwich.

"Why is he bothering you this time?" Mike frowned.

"Well, mainly it's because he wasn't happy when I returned his Christmas gift to him so he has been pestering me about it since we got back," Helena said.

"What did he get you?" Kim asked with interest.

"A rather expensive necklace, actually."

"What? I would have kept it and hocked it," Hope grinned.

"Keeping it would have given him the wrong ideas, and Don already has great difficulty taking 'no' for an answer," Helena explained.

"Probably because it's a word he's never heard before," Hope snorted. Mike sighed. "No offense, Mike."

"When you're right, you're right," Mike shrugged, grabbing a sandwich as well. "Anyway, you might want to check the schedule. There have been quite a few changes, you know."

"Well, if anyone needs someone to cover and it's an hour that I have time free, let me know. I'll gladly pick it up," Helena said, glancing at it.

"And just when are you going to study?" Mike challenged her.

"In here or in my room after dinner, assuming I don't have hall duty," Helena said unconcernedly. "You'd better finish eating, we have class in a bit."

"Fine, but I hope you have enough sense to come to me if my brother keeps pestering you," Mike said.

"I'm a Slytherin prefect, Mike, I can handle it, thank you," Helena said indignantly before turning to her lunch. She ignored Mike's concerned frown, more than a little irritated that he wasn't so convinced. Besides, she really didn't want to give the two of them any more reason to butt heads.

After lunch, Leu and Keir walked to Transfiguration, then after a rather tedious class on liquids, Noah and Leu began the long walk out to the greenhouses for Herbology.

"I hope you're not going to pick up all that many events to assist, Leu," Noah said as they walked down the corridor. "It'd be nice to actually attend some, and besides, you've got Wizard Hurling, anyway. That's enough of a time commitment."

"Not really, we only have to play everyone once, then winners play off. But I admit I'd like to go to more events. When's Dressage?" Leu asked.

"Not until March, but I'll have to practice nearly every day until then. Still, most of the time I'll be practicing just before dinner, and most of the events are after. How about Chaser Ball tonight?" Noah pressed.

"Maybe. I'll have to check with Corey first to see if he needs help," Leu said. Noah gave him a dirty look, but didn't say anything as they stepped out onto the back grounds.

Leu paid attention to his footing, knowing that lately even the paths didn't seem to be completely safe; uneven ground and piles of random dirt that often appeared overnight.

"Quite a mess today, isn't it? The Elf Willow must have been really restless last night. It even got a part of Madame Willowby's outside garden," Leu observed.

"Well, he seems rather subdued now…. Leu, look!" Noah suddenly gasped, and Leu looked over at the tree. The tree's branches seemed slightly gathered and crouched over, shading a baby who was too busy banging a copper alarm clock on the ground to notice anything else.

"Quintin! What is he doing out here?" Leu exclaimed in surprise, hurrying towards the tree.

"Maybe Mrs. Tinker came down to talk to Professor Willowby during her conference and he wandered off," Noah suggested.

"You'd better run to the classroom and get them. I'll try to get to Quintin," Leu said.

"Right," Noah said and hurried off while Leu stumbled over the dirt piles across the grounds.

Leu carefully walked over, the Elf Willow lifting his branches curiously as Leu approached.

"What are you doing out here, Quintin?" Leu asked with exasperation.

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin explained unconcernedly.

"Well, it isn't all that much better with you hitting it on the ground like that," Leu sighed, and stepped over to pick him up. But apparently in so doing he startled the tree, which immediately lowered its branches again and swatted him hard across the stomach, landing him flat on his back and out of reach. "That was totally uncalled for! I'm only trying to help," he gasped and slowly sat up, trying to get his wind back.

It was then that he happened to notice an odd shadow and looked up, immediately focusing in on a very large gargoyle that was clinging to the side of the castle, watching him. It was a gargoyle like none he had ever seen before around the castle. It was tall like a door guard and its wings were the same, but the shape was of a man, perhaps with a beard, and its hands and feet were almost human-like, with only the tips of the fingers extending like talons. The gargoyle met Leu's gaze steadily, and there was a look in its faceted, kaleidoscope eyes that had an intelligence that Leu never noticed in any of the other gargoyles before.

"Leu! Come back out of the way!" Rose ordered as she ran over to them with Ashley and Noah right behind her.

"Quintin, you naughty boy! My goodness, you certainly move fast when you have a mind!" Ashley scolded, picking him up. "And where on earth did you get that clock?"

"It isn't mine. It looks like someone's night stand alarm clock," Rose said, taking the clock. "A bit dented now, though."

"Look! Look up there!" Leu said, but when he pointed to where the gargoyle was, he realized it was no longer in sight.

"What is it, Leu?" Rose asked, stepping away from the tree and looking over to where he was pointing curiously.

"There was a gargoyle… a very different one. Completely different… and it was watching me… no… I think it was watching Quintin," Leu blurted out.

"I'll go take a look," Noah volunteered, floating up in the direction Leu had pointed and fading from view.

"How was it completely different?" Rose asked.

"It was half-man, half-gargoyle. Or maybe it was half-statue half-gargoyle… oh, I don't know. I just know I haven't seen anything like it in the castle," Leu insisted.

"Do you mean it was like an angel statue?" Ashley asked.

"No, not really, more gargoylish than that, and definitely not refined in any stretch of the imagination. It seemed rather warped somehow, really," Leu explained. Ashley and Rose stared at one another.

"Good afternoon, everyone," came the voice of Icarus, and he and Noah appeared a moment later. "I found this one haunting the outside of the castle instead of going to class. Something about a strange gargoyle lurking about?"

"You didn't find it, then?" Leu asked Noah.

"No, I saw nothing odd at all until Professor Ravenclaw found me," Noah said. Ick squinted at him.

"I'm not quite sure I like how you worded that," Icarus said.

"Well, we certainly can't dismiss the citing. At the very least, I should go up and tell Professor Weasley about it. Perhaps she will recognize the gargoyle Leu described," Rose said.

"I will watch your class for you, then," Icarus volunteered.

"And I had better go relieve Danyelle in the daycare room and get this little monster back there before he gets into any more trouble," Ashley said with exasperation, carrying Quintin inside.

"Come, Leu and Noah, let's be off to class… watch the dirt, now," Icarus said, floating towards the greenhouses.

"Isn't anyone else in the least bit concerned that that thing was watching Quintin?" Leu demanded, reluctantly following behind.

"Now, Leu, you can't possibly know that for sure. It could have just has easily been you it was watching, or the tree, or that side of the castle in general. Leu frowned, certain he was right. It was then that he noticed just how quiet Noah had become, and found himself wondering if Maurice hadn't been right about his friend all along.


	26. Picking One's Battles

Chapter Twenty-Six

Picking One's Battles

Maurice glanced up from his books when Garvan stepped into their room.

"I take it that my niece didn't medal?" Maurice inquired when he heard Garvan sigh.

"Fourth place… she was quite livid. She thinks the familiar tournament favored flyers," Garvan explained, sitting down and reluctantly accepting the scroll of homework Maurice handed out to him. "Have you any tickets for this weekend?"

"We have a test between then and now," Maurice said persistently, tapping the scroll in Garvan's hand.

"Yes, I know. I was just asking," Garvan protested.

"I have tickets for Wizard Go and Hurling for both this weekend and next, and I also went ahead and got tickets for the footrace prelims the weekend after this as well," Maurice said, turning his attention back to his books.

"No reason to buy those so early. It isn't like it's going to be full, the prelims never are," Garvan said.

"Just thinking ahead. I have a feeling the prelims are going to be exciting regardless, considering whose in it… it is the most important leg of the Hexathlon, you know." Maurice reminded him.

"Yes, and I'm quite sure all four contestants will survive to the next round, so where's the excitement in seeing who wins? We know who will end up qualifying already," Garvan argued, finally opening his scroll before digging in his trunk for his quill case.

"Let's hope so, at least," Maurice said. Garvan looked up and studied him for a moment, but before he could ask what was on his mind, there was a knock on the door. "Enter, it's open." Cain opened the door and poked his head in, looking around.

"Leu's outside the Grackle wanting to speak with you," Cain informed him. "Hey, are you studying for Transfiguration? Can I study with you?"

"Sure, just transfigure yourself another chair," Maurice said on his way out the door.

"If I knew how to do that I wouldn't have to study with you guys," Cain pointed out as he came inside, while Maurice continued out of the Slytherin rooms and out into the hall where Leu waited against the far wall.

"Hullo, nephew. What can I help you with?" Maurice asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something. Do you know about what happened yesterday?" Leu asked.

"About Quintin wandering off again? Yes, he's been doing that a lot lately, actually. It's not all that uncommon, really… he's at a stage where he's completely mobile but not old enough to get him to understand about rules and things. My sister and his caretakers really need to keep a closer eye on him until he grows out of it," Maurice said, shaking his head with exasperation. "Especially with all these visitors in the castle."

"It isn't just the visitors that needs worrying about. There was a gargoyle trying to get at Quintin yesterday. A strange one, part man and part gargoyle," Leu said. "I've never seen it before. I think he was after Quintin."

"Why is that?" Maurice asked.

"He was clinging from the castle wall and watching when I was trying to get Quintin away from the tree," Leu explained.

"That's what gargoyles do, after all," Maurice reminded him.

"Not like this, this was different. And I think Noah knows something about it, or at least he was behaving very strangely when I started talking about it. I didn't imagine it. I did see it, ask your sister if you don't believe me," Leu insisted.

"I never said I didn't believe you, did I? I know you aren't the sort that jokes about things like that," Maurice said calmly.

"Well, I should have believed you when you said Noah knew something about all of this, because I am pretty sure he does now. You don't think Noah would be involved in anything that would harm Quintin, do you?" Leu asked concernedly. Maurice sighed at him.

"You really are new at this, aren't you? As I told you before, who you ask is just as important as what to ask," Maurice said.

"Yes, but you tend to know everything I want to know, so I thought I'd save time simply asking you first," Leu said.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this. You'll have to figure it out yourself, Leu. Perhaps you should ask Noah about it," Maurice suggested, turning back towards the painting.

"But what about Quintin? Aren't you in the least bit worried about that?" Leu snapped with frustration. Maurice paused thoughtfully.

"He is a Snape and a Craw, and as such has the family's utmost protection. Including mine," Maurice added before stepping back inside. Leu glared at the Grackle in the painting as the door closed, resisting the urge to throw something at it before sulking back over to the stairs.

In the Ravenclaw rooms, Noah was already at his desk, looking up when Leu came in.

"There you are. Where have you been?" Noah asked. "We have a paper to work on, you know."

"I thought you had a date," Leu parried, digging out his research notes.

"I did, but she started to get all cuddly on me, so I said something questionable enough that I knew she'd take it the wrong way and she wandered off to be mad at me," Noah explained.

"Girls are supposed to be cuddly when you're going out with them. Really, I don't see why you bother at all if you're going to treat her like that," Leu scolded, sitting down. "I suppose you'll say it's a ghost thing."

"In a way it is," Noah said grumpily. "Are you going to help me with our paper, or not?"

"Yes, although I can't help but be distracted, what with all that business with Quintin and the Man Gargoyle," Leu said.

"Not that again. Didn't the Headmaster tell you not to worry about it?" Noah said.

"No, he simply said thank you and that he would look into it," Leu said. "He didn't say I couldn't worry."

"But he did say he'd look into it, so we'd be better off doing what we're supposed to. Like homework," Noah said.

"All right, but perhaps after we finish that, would you help me try to find out more about that strange gargoyle?" Leu asked.

"By the time we get that done, it'll be after curfew," Noah pointed out. "Maybe you should wait until the weekend and try the library or something."

"The library?" Leu said, thinking it over.

"Why not? There are books on practically everything in there," Noah shrugged.

Leu lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling and attempting to gauge Noah's reactions. He seemed to be acting so normal… well, at least normal for Noah. But at the same time Leu felt that Noah was trying to stay out of it. So was Maurice for some reason, Noah realized with a frown. But would either of them behave like that if they felt that Quintin was in danger? Maurice certainly wouldn't, Leu decided. And what reason could Noah have for trying to protect anyone who would try to hurt his little brother? That seemed quite out of character as well. Perhaps he should take Noah's advice and simply leave it up to his father to handle, Leu mused with a soft sigh. After all, what could he do?

* * *

><p>Near the end of January, the intermittent coughs from Jennifer's students began to grow more frequent. In resignation, she decided to start teaching Pepper-Up Potions and other cold remedies before Ginny decided to order in bulk. Several large cauldrons had already been started and labeled by the time Hermione wandered in at the end of Jennifer's fourth year class, smiling knowingly at her.<p>

"It's not going to be enough," Hermione commented after Jennifer released the students.

"What isn't?" Jennifer asked.

"The potions. Ginny is already complaining that the hospital wing is getting filled up and is demanding that we move all the track events back to April so that the situation doesn't get worse," Hermione said.

"That isn't likely to happen," Jennifer said, shaking her head as she stirred one of the pots.

"Yes, I know it won't, I helped set that schedule up. I just thought you ought to know that she's concerned about it," Hermione explained, helpfully stirring a different one. "Especially with the vendors and crowds on the property, we're likely to have an active season of sniffles and coughs."

"I have full faith in Ginny and Sagittari's capacity to keep up with it. And as you can see, I'm taking my fair share of precautions as well," Jennifer pointed out, grabbing a rack of clean bottles.

"Good. I think I might let it slip that you're already working on it then," Hermione decided, Jennifer smiling knowingly at her as she left.

* * *

><p>Leu and Noah wandered into the library with books in hand and couldn't help but notice the wide gap of empty tables in the middle of the room. On one side, a small handful of students with red noses sat at tables with tissue boxes in the center, while on the other side sat a larger portion of students, warily glancing over at them any time one had a coughing fit. In the mix was Natalie and Garvan sitting across from each other with books between them in an attempt to study.<p>

"Looks like even some Owls got condemned to the sick tables today," Leu noted.

"I think I'll go sit with them," Noah decided, hovering in that direction while Leu stepped into the Owl room. Boulderdash looked up from his work desk, eyeing him critically.

"If you are feeling at all under the weather, Mr. Murphy, I suggest you go back out there where you can not contaminate the rest of us," the librarian informed him.

"Professor Craw gave me a potion cocktail to prevent me from getting sick, I doubt I'll be catching anything, Librarian Boulderdash," Leu said.

"Hey! How come you get it and the rest of us don't?" Hope complained with a scowl.

"I think it's because it can be a bit toxic. She made me stay in the lab for two hours after taking it to make sure I didn't have any weird side effects," Leu explained, sitting down by Amy. "I rather got the impression she did it for Quintin's sake more than anything."

"Human children do seem to be a bit on the fragile side, at least compared to ours," Boulderdash commented distractedly, carefully repairing a binding on one of the books in front of him.

"Not so much, I just think Grandmother is a bit paranoid when it comes to Quintin," Chuck said from the other side of Amy.

"She has reason to worry, but there are more important things to worry about than just a common winter cold. Isn't that right, Llewellyn?" Amy said.

"Oh, now don't get him going about that mysterious gargoyle man again. Nobody else has seen anything like that, it's obviously just his imagination running away with him," Chuck said with agitation, sliding over a Wizard Go board. The black stones in front of him immediately took an interest, muttering to each other excitedly in scratchy, high-pitched voices.

"The Headmaster didn't think I was making it up," Leu said.

"And Grandfather is just as paranoid, especially when it comes to security," Chuck said. "Besides, that was two weeks ago. If there were some sort of gargoyle man, I'd expect someone else would have seen him by now. Amy, do you want to play?"

"No thanks, I lost interest when I got eliminated," Amy said.

"I would, but I really should study for this Transfiguration test. Don't you have a test coming up as well?" Hope reminded him.

"Don't you start, I get enough of it from Mum and Grandfather," Chuck scowled.

"You wouldn't be if you actually had decent marks," Hope said.

"Do you have any more books on gargoyles, Librarian Boulderdash?" Leu asked.

"Perhaps, although I have trouble keeping them on the shelves these days for some reason," he said with a toothy sneer, hopping off his stool. "Come along, I might as well do it now while the binding is drying."

"I don't suppose there are any recent ones?" Leu asked as they stepped out into the library. "I'd rather like to know who the current experts on gargoyles are."

"You'll be needing to peruse copies of the Dark Quarter Quarterly, then," Boulderdash grunted. "They're in the restricted section. I doubt your parents would object to you reading them, but you won't be able to take them out of the library."

"Can I bring them back to the Owl Room?" Leu asked.

"Provided you don't share them," Boulderdash said with a suspicious squint, becoming distracted when he noticed movement in one of the restricted aisles. "Anything I can help you with, Mr. Coventry?" Leu peered around curiously to see Don look up from his book, looking quite annoyed at being startled.

"I don't need anything off the bottom row at the moment, but thanks," Don said icily. Boulderdash growled softly in the back of his throat.

"The only area you are approved to browse in at the moment is potions, Mr. Coventry. I doubt you would need anything from that section for that," Boulderdash said.

"Fine, I'll go get an effing note from Bellamy, if it pleases you," Don said with exasperation, stomping away while muttering. Leu couldn't make out all of the words, but was quite sure that "blighted" and "green" had been two of them.

"Next row, Mr. Murphy," Boulderdash said, continuing to the end of the Dark Arts section.

"You heard that rather clearly, I suppose. What did he say?" Leu whispered.

"Mind your curiosity, Mr. Murphy," Boulderdash advised as he perused the magazines.

"Shouldn't you have deducted points from him for that?" Leu asked.

"It is wise to pick one's battles, Mr. Murphy. Only fight the ones that matter," Boulderdash said, pulling out three volumes and handing them to him. "There you are, return to your research."

"Yes, Librarian Boulderdash," Leu said, returning to the Owl Room.

"Did you find anything?" Amy asked immediately. Boulderdash squinted at her dangerously.

"Am I at least allowed to share any information I might find?" Leu asked, sitting down on the opposite end of the table from the girl. Amy scowled at him.

"It is not my responsibility to control any hearsay that takes place after they are borrowed, Mr. Murphy, but no sharing periodicals," Boulderdash warned.

"I understand," Leu said with a grin, then began to look through the listings.

"Anything yet?" Amy pressed.

"Miss Weasley, do leave him alone and concern yourself with your own affairs. Don't you have a research project due next week for history?" Boulderdash said. Grimacing at the reminder, Amy got her books out of her bag.

A few minutes passed with nothing but the clack and mutter of stones on Charles' Go board until Mike came in, heaving a sigh that was a mix of relief and exhaustion before walking over to get some cocoa.

"I see you're still among the healthy," Kimberly noted, glancing over his last move.

"Yeah, and I plan to stay that way for as long as possible," Mike chuckled softly. "I saw Helena out there, though. Is it wrong for me to hope my brother gets it next?"

"Yes, it's wrong, but I hope so too," Amy said. "Speaking of which, is Hope out there?"

"No, she's out helping at the booths, which reminds me… Mr. Willowby was asking about you when I was out there doing my run, Leu. I think Natalie was supposed to be out helping him today and she's sick," Mike said.

"But what about the gargoyles?" Amy protested.

"You may leave those here on my workbench until you are ready for them, Mr. Murphy," Boulderdash suggested.

"Don't worry, Amy, I'll get back to them as soon as I'm done," Leu promised.

"I hate being a first year. We don't get to do anything," Amy brooded as Leu left the room.

"Leu isn't all that older than us. How come he's allowed to get magazines out of the restricted section anyway?" Charles asked.

"His father preapproved it," Boulderdash shrugged and then sneered. "Although I think he'll be surprised it took him this long."

"If that's so, then that probably means the Headmaster already tried this route," Amy reasoned.

"And if he approved it, that probably means he didn't find anything interesting," Charles concluded with a snort.

"How come you didn't just tell Leu that it was a waste of time researching it?" Amy asked Boulderdash, who immediately sat up haughtily with a dangerous glare.

"Research is never a waste of time, Miss Weasley, no matter what the result," he said indignantly. "The trouble with people in this castle is everyone seems to take knowledge for granted. It has to be earned like anything else," he said, pointing her to her books. Reluctantly, Amy slumped and put her chin on her open tome.

Leu ran out to the Quidditch Pitch, dodging several runners practicing for the foot race and managing to get cussed at by Don as he and several other of his friends got ready to join the rest of them.

"Did he just call you a little goblin freak?" Dasher asked when Leu ducked into the Mungo's tent out of breath.

"Among other things," Leu panted. "I suppose it's partially my fault for crossing the tracks like that… I had forgotten they were there."

"All the same, it's no excuse to go after you like that, especially treating our good name like it was an insult…"

"Your father told me to only fight the battles that matter," Leu said solemnly. Dasher immediately grew quiet.

"Very good advice," Corey offered, stepping up behind them. "Let him mince words if he wants. Besides, the best revenge against words is to either prove them wrong or prove them right, depending on what was said."

"I rather think that's good advice too," Leu decided. "Did you need me to fill in this afternoon?"

"I certainly did, thank you, Leu," Corey said. "Can you help Dasher restock and then help Hadrian at the counter? Alicia didn't show up this afternoon so I'm going to relieve Lindsay at the regular St. Mungo's booth."

"Do you suppose that means she's going to have her baby?" Leu asked curiously.

"I don't know, but I've been wondering the same thing. She may have just overslept, too," Corey shrugged. "I'll be right on the other side of this tent wall, so just yell if you need me. I need to get everything stocked before the afternoon events."

"Yes, Corey," Leu said and followed Dasher into the tent.

As Corey turned to step into the next tent, he heard his name called in the distance. Was it his mother? Perhaps Alex? No, Alex wasn't here, he mused, unable to place the voice as he looked around. He also didn't see anyone who seemed to be hailing him, even across the way where a small group had gathered to watch various practices while they waited for their ticketed events to start. He frowned, taking a couple of steps away from the tent before deciding he must have imagined it. It was then that he felt a strange tap on the back of his heel and happened to look down at the ground.

It was his shadow. And it wasn't following his movements.

"Uh oh," Corey said to himself as the legs of his shadow started to elongate and take shape in front of him. It was then that he realized it seemed that his silhouette seemed to have a sword. Putting out his hand, he called his sword to him just as the silhouette took on a more three dimensional appearance, managing to parry the first strike as it came in. Immediately he ran into trouble; Corey was not used to fencing with such a close opponent, which was no more than an arm's length from him. To make matters worse, he knew perfectly well that any strikes he might make would not harm the shadow at all, but the shadow was capable of harming him as if it were a second Corey in front of him. That immediately put him at a stale mate, knowing that all he could do was take a defensive stance until he inevitably ran out of energy. "Dasher!" Corey belted out. "Dasher! Run to Rosmerta's tent for some butter!"

"Butter?" Leu repeated in surprise. "Why don't I just call up some darkness?"

"This is a dark shadow spell, not the normal one. It'd just get bigger," Corey explained and then was forced into a very low duck as the shadow sword swiped towards his neck. As he rolled back to his feet, the shadow's orientation changed to the other side, but didn't lose a beat and came in for a thrust that Corey was barely able to sidestep.

"There it is!" Tonks dropped down on her broom with her wand out, Bellamy and Eric dropping down behind her. She had a strange compass-like device in her hand as she pointed her wand at the shadow.

"That's the shadow assassin spell. Have a care, sir! It's quite dangerous," Bellamy warned.

"Tell me something I don't already know! I sent Dasher for butter," Corey said.

"We'll still have to wrestle the bugger down," Bellamy pointed out, then came up behind it. Corey did his best to keep the shadow busy, his attempts at taking a more aggressive stance easily parried by his dark counterpart. But the fact that the shadow assassin was still attached proved to be a disadvantage when it came to facing several targets at once, and Bellamy was a powerful wrestler under even normal circumstances. Once its arms were pinned, Corey was able to hook its legs, so by the time Dasher returned with the butter, they were holding it down.

"What do I do with it?" Dasher asked, and Eric took over, grabbing the stick and rubbing it over the soles of Corey's shoes until the shadow finally released. As the spell broke, the assassin lost its substance and Bellamy fell on Corey, the two of them letting out a grown before pulling away, out of breath.

"What in the world was a spell like that cast in the middle of the day? And in a crowded area, no less!" Tonks asked. "Sloppiest assassination attempt I've ever seen."

"Unless it was meant only to cause trouble," Bellamy said. "Another attempt to disrupt the games?"

"Possibly," Eric admitted, helping Corey up. "Have you offended anyone lately, Corey?"

"I stay out of things as much as possible and don't get in anyone's way unless I absolutely have to," Corey protested, but then chuckled. "Frankly, Eric, these days I really don't have the time to offend people."

"Noted," Eric agreed.

"Still, there are definitely people who don't like you. But who would be here?" Tonks said, frowning at the Pitch. "I'd better have a look around."

"Tonks… what about not getting involved?" Eric reminded her.

"Better than staying here and putting up with that," Tonks said, gesturing over where Abraxus Coventry and Peter Gamban were hurrying over. Corey groaned, dusting himself off.

"You handle it. I'm going to the Mungo's booth," Corey said, walking over to where Lindsay was watching and began talking to her.

"What in blazes is going on now?" Abraxus asked.

"Nothing but a small security matter, nothing left to see here," Bellamy said.

"If it involves security in any way, I demand to know what it is. My boy is using the tracks, and if it jeopardizes his safety in any way, I have the right to be privy to it!" Abraxus said.

"No, sir, you do not, unless it involves him, which it doesn't," Bellamy said evenly. "Therefore, you should probably return to whatever it was you were doing."

"I shall do no such thing, not until I have reassurances that these 'small security matters' that keep happening are going to stop!" Abraxus demanded.

"Now, that's hardly fair, Abraxus, especially with the amount of people coming in and out of the castle," Eric interjected. "From what I've witnessed over the last couple of months, they've done a spectacular job keeping a handle on it, especially Wing Commander Bellamy."

"Thank you. At your service, sir," Bellamy said.

"And what about that dragon? I've yet to hear any resolution for that," Peter pointed out. "And just where is Jennifer? She's normally in the thick of these things."

"She is out of the castle at the moment, Mr. Gamban. But I assure you I have things under control," Bellamy said.

"If you do I have yet to see it," Abraxus said haughtily before stomping away, Peter giving them an approving frown before following.

"Is it just me, or does Abraxus seem to be in the middle of things every time there's an incident?" Eric said with thin smile.

"The thought has occurred to me, sir," Bellamy admitted. "I only hope that one day I will be free of any obligations that restrain me from telling him what I really think of him." Chuckling in agreement, Eric and Bellamy went to find Tonks.


	27. The Foot Race

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Foot Race

In the Trophy Room, one could scarcely see the paint beneath all of the frames of paintings. Some of them actually belonged in the room, but many others did not, crowding into any space they could find. Caprica was entertaining herself by listening to the conversations going on around her when Corey arrived back in the Sentinels painting and she asked them all to pipe down.

"So what's the news on your sister, Corey?" Caprica asked.

"It's a boy. Severus Nicholas Pyther," Corey said, a round of cheers going around the room.

"Oh, no, another Severus!" Caprica laughed. "One is more than enough!"

"Funny, that's just what Dad said when he arrived," Corey grinned. "He said every child deserved his own name. Of course he didn't say it in Alicia's room, but of course she heard about it, so she got mad and decided she was going to call him Nicky to spite him." All the paintings laughed again. "I got the feeling the name was Pyther's idea originally, and really, I don't think Dad was as annoyed about it as he came off."

"I'm sure he was quite proud," Bedivere said.

"He should be, and I'm sure he'll change his mind after he's dead. It's rather nice to have a namesake," the painting of Icarus said.

"I hope your real self is smart enough not to say that to his face," Caprica said with amusement. "Anyone heard from Demura?"

"The boy is already in the book, former Headmaster," came Demura's voice. "But I'm afraid I cannot come to you directly to speak of it. We have a crisis in the castle, according to Professor Weasley."

"Oh? And I wasn't informed?" Caprica squinted.

"I am here to inform you now, of course," Demura said calmly. "Apparently the gargoyles are on high alert. The majority of them are perched around the Quidditch and football pitches while some of the larger ones are guarding the doors to the Great Hall and indoor gymnasium."

"What happened this time?" Caprica scowled.

"I believe it was in response to the Headmaster leaving the castle, former Headmaster Dusthorn," Demura said.

"Drat! All of this overreacting is doing nothing but making things worse!" Caprica cursed.

"Are you sure it's overreacting? My real self got attacked a little while ago," Corey reminded her.

"Whoever unleashed that spell knew perfectly well it wasn't likely to kill him, especially in the middle of the day and in public. It's the same sort of mischief that's plagued these games since the start. I'm pretty sure we don't need an entire gargoyle army to catch whoever is behind that," Caprica seethed.

"Well, he hasn't been caught yet, has he?" Corey pointed out. "Or she as the case may be."

"What game is scheduled at the moment?"

"Finals in Wizard Go, although Wizard Hurling's about to start in half an hour, Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Going to be a packed game, I bet," Corey said.

"Any ghosts going?" Caprica asked.

"Several… including Ick, I think," Corey said.

"Hermione going out there?"

"No, she's in here judging. I think Danny and Bellamy were out there today," Corey informed her.

"I suppose we'll have to trust them to keep things together. Blast, but I'll be so glad when these games are over!" Caprica said, Corey grinning and nodding in agreement.

* * *

><p>Noah waited impatiently until Leu came out of the Owl Room, shaking his head at him before following him out of the library.<p>

"We're going to be late. I thought you wanted to go to this one," Noah complained.

"I do, and I'm sorry, but I ended up staying so long at the booth today that I barely had any time to research those magazines Boulderdash pulled for me," Leu explained.

"And it was probably a complete waste of time at that," Noah snorted.

"Well, not completely. I did read an interesting interview someone had with the Lord Moor," Leu said.

"Who's that?" Noah asked.

"Apparently someone who knows a lot about animation techniques, that's mainly what the article was talking about," Leu said. "And it said he had an old mansion and mentioned there were quite a number of gargoyles guarding the property."

"I'm sure a lot of people have houses with gargoyles, Leu, but that doesn't mean they have anything to do with Hogwarts," Noah said.

"He doesn't directly, but I asked Librarian Boulderdash about him, and he says that the Lord Moor has occasionally come to the games, because he's been seeing Harry Potter's daughter. And since this is a Gryffindor game, maybe they're here," Leu said.

"Oh, don't go bothering people who've paid to go to the events, Leu, really…" Noah protested, but Leu was already stepping outside into the crowd. Sighing, Noah followed along until he noticed Icarus and the Friar and slipped away.

"That might be them," Leu said, noticing Harry sitting by his wife, daughter and a light-haired man wearing dark glasses in the Gryffindor box.

"That might be who?"

Leu looked around in surprise to see Keif Box standing there with a pumpkin ice cream cone.

"Where did Noah go?" Leu asked.

"I'm not sure, but have you seen my father yet? I'm out of coin again," Keif said.

"I just got here myself," Leu said. "Maybe he's up in the Slytherin box?"

"Maybe, but I'm not going up there. It's surrounded," Keif said. Leu glanced up curiously, and immediately saw what he meant, for there was a gargoyle perched in each corner as if they had always been there. That's when he realized that there were gargoyles all over… except for the main Gryffindor box. Even the teacher's box had two watching from the top stand. Wondering if that was a sign, Leu took off without saying a word, leaving Keif to wonder what he was up to.

Leu had instantly forgotten all about him, turning in his ticket before slipping away from his assigned section and up into the box to see that it was quite packed.

"What are you doing up here, boy?" said a gruff older man with white hair and furrowed brows. Despite the familiar eyes, it took him a moment to remember who it was.

"I was looking to speak with someone, Uncle Augustus," Leu said cautiously.

"Speak? Try shouting, although even that seems pointless in this crowd. Who are you looking for?" Augustus asked.

"Um…" Leu said, then looked around helplessly, feeling more than a bit conscientious about being there, especially as loud as Augustus was being. In fact, he was so loud that Harry was watching him curiously. "I…I'm sorry, can I talk to you something a moment?"

"Come on, you can use Cedric's seat," Harry said, tapping an empty seat between he and Jamie. Leu hurried over as quickly as he could, trying to get through the mass of people before sitting down in relief. "So what news do you have? Has Alicia had her baby yet?"

"Yes, Corey said it was a boy, Severus Nicholas," Leu said, distractedly looking over at the strange pale man beside Jamie. He had a thin smile, but with the dark glasses it was hard to tell his true expression.

"Oh great, another Severus, just what we don't need," Jamie said.

"Jamie, be nice!" Ginny frowned at her.

"They're going to call him Nicky. I'm not sure why. I mean, why not just name him Nicholas?" Leu said. Harry chuckled.

"I could make a guess, but you'll have to ask them personally to find out for sure," Harry said.

"You're right. Uncle Maurice is always telling me that I should pick the right people to ask the right questions to," Leu said.

"One of the first basic rules of being an Auror. I don't suppose you want to be one?" Harry asked.

"Dad, no recruiting," Jamie scowled.

"I agree," Ginny said.

"Well, I really haven't thought about it. I've always assumed I'd have to go into treasure hunting until recently," Leu admitted. "I'm Llewellyn Murphy, by the way."

"Oh, sorry, that's my fault I suppose," Jamie said. Owain, this is Leu Murphy, Professor Snape and Craw's son. Leu, this is the Lord Moor, my fiancé." Harry cringed slightly, but quickly recovered when he saw Ginny watching him.

"So you are the Lord Moor after all? The one from the Dark Quarterly?" Leu asked.

"Dark Quarterly?" Ginny asked.

"Ah, yes, that. One of their reporters came to 'view the gardens' but was more interested in hearing about my family's talents in dark animation instead," Owain explained, politely ignoring the disapproving look on Harry's face. "I decided to allow the interview, provided he promised not to reveal the specific nature of my talents, since, of course, I can't use it in Britain. My mother was livid when she found out about it."

"She's going to have to join this century sometime," Jamie sighed.

"I believe her intention is to never to join it within her lifetime. She's decided she doesn't need to since I am "doing it for her," Owain said with amusement. "But how would a boy of your age know about that article?"

"I've been trying to find out more about what's going on with the gargoyles. You mentioned in the article that your manor had some," Leu said.

"You see? Potential Auror material," Harry said. Ginny poked him in the back.

"You just want more recruits to watch the flag board," Jamie accused her father.

"Is that why there are no gargoyles here when they're everywhere else? Because you're here?" Leu pressed.

"Interesting change in perspective. We were wondering why they were everywhere else, but we weren't really wondering why they weren't here," Owain replied.

"More specifically, why they seem so interested in the Slytherin box," Jamie added.

"I still think it's Coventry, considering it's obvious they don't like him," Ginny put in.

"Maybe… but I'm sure he's not the only parent who has consistently been in that box through the games… and not the only one from Equinox either," Harry said.

"Still, there has to be a reason they're ignoring this box," Leu decided. "Is it because you can animate them?"

"I can animate those within my own manor, and perhaps I could make one myself if I had the time and energy," Owain said. "But our gargoyles are always made with a specific destination in mind. They have a purpose from the beginning… a place to guard and protect, perhaps specific people they are designed to watch over or guard against. It'd be difficult to manipulate anything against its nature, especially when one has no idea what details may have been charmed into them."

"So whoever is moving the gargoyles about has to know them very well and they can't do anything outside of their nature?" Leu frowned.

"Yes, they do have to know them well, and while it is possible to force a gargoyle to do something against its nature… it is merely a charmed statue after all… it would take a great deal of power to do so, and it would cause a great deal of strain. To move this many at once against their will would be virtually impossible," Owain explained.

"Well, what if whoever was doing this was a gargoyle himself? Perhaps they turned themselves into a gargoyle?" Leu said.

"Then they would no longer be alive. Gargoyles are simply rock or clay," Owain said.

"Leu saw a gargoyle that looked like it was half-gargoyle half-man a few weeks ago," Harry explained.

"A lot of gargoyles are sculpted like that. There are a great many at the manor that look like angels, devils, and all kinds of creatures designed for different purposes," Owain explained.

"I wonder where that particular gargoyle is now? I wouldn't mind getting a look at it myself," Harry said, getting out some omniculars to look.

"I think the game's about to start," Jamie commented, and Leu soon realized that he wasn't likely to get anything more from them as they got swept up in the game itself. Even Harry gave up looking for the gargoyle after a vicious knock from one of the Slytherin students nearly kept Derry Dalance from landing on his feet; which would have resulted in a nasty injury indeed. Sighing in resignation, Leu simply gave in and watched the game as well.

The next day was the trials for the foot race. It was not even close.

The moment the race started, Mike Coventry left them all in the dust. His brother was a distant and yet unrivalled second place, while Balt Ewen from Slytherin led the pack to come in third. He walked over to a group of other Slytherin hovering around Don, panting and still walking around a bit, while Don seemed more red-faced and annoyed than out of breath.

"How can anyone with the same genetics be so much faster than you?" one of them asked.

"Shut your hole, Pickett," Don growled.

"He's been out here every day," Balt Ewen. "Not that we have time for that, if we're going to stay in first place for house points."

"Typical Hufflepuff… lets his house fall to fourth and ignores schoolwork for this silliness."

"Actually, the other Coventry is first in most of his classes, except for Potions, of course, our Don has that, not to mention Tangent's Economics course. Mike didn't even bother to take that," Balt said.

"Of course not, the idiot is going to be a stupid Auror. Even if our bitch of a mum promises him her family inheritance, he'll die from being cursed in the head before he'd ever see it," Don said.

"Well, I'd say it won't hurt for you to spend this last week before the real race to see what you can do to improve your time in case some of the other runners in the other two time trials can match it. Long as you come in second, you'll still be ahead in the Hex, you know," Balt suggested.

"Fine, I'll train more. But I don't do second," Don said vehemently, then squinted at the other side of the track. "Later, I'm going to go talk to Lena."

"Have you done her yet? Or does she still find you repulsive?" Balt baited him.

"No girl would get close to you, creep," Don muttered back before striding over to where Helena was talking to Mike, Winnie and Ronnie.

"Look out, evil twin is closing in," Winnie murmured under her breath. Helena immediately turned to meet him, hoping to keep him away from the others in the process.

"Hullo! That was a nice run," Helena said politely.

"Yeah, makes you wonder exactly what he's on, doesn't it?" Don said, jerking a thumb at his brother.

"If he is, I'm sure that Madame Brittle will catch it," Helena said, walking towards the castle.

"She'd better, or my father is likely to bring in someone else to test for potion enhancement himself," Don said.

"For some reason, I don't think that'd go over well," Helena said. "You know how the Headmaster feels about people interfering."

"He's incompetent. Really, the man is long past his prime. My father says there has been nothing but countless problems since these games have started," Don said.

"Actually, considering how many people are involved in this thing, I rather think it's gone off splendidly well thus far," Helena said.

"You must be joking… strange water plants, dragons, curses and crazy gargoyles and you think it's going off splendidly?" Don snorted. "Typical denial, just like the faculty here… only a matter of time before someone gets really hurt, or even killed."

"You almost sound as if you were looking forward to that," Helena said with a frown.

"Well, yeah. As long as it isn't me," Don admitted with a smile.

"Or me?" Helena challenged him.

"You? Well, not until I've shagged you at any rate…"

"Not ever going to happen," Helena snapped. Don simply smiled thinly, unconcerned about her answer as they walked towards Conspiracies and privately amused by how uncomfortable she had gotten.

* * *

><p>Despite his reassurances to his classmates that he would get out on the field and train, Don found little time that next week to go to the track. Instead, he spent nearly all of his free time in the library or his dorm room as if there had been no games at all. It wasn't until the Friday morning before the race that he finally came down early to train, glancing around the common room with a frown.<p>

"Where the hell's my sister? Is she not out of bed yet?" Don asked Veronica, who was finishing her Transfiguration homework at the chess table.

"She came down with the cough yesterday… she left early to go to the hospital wing," Veronica said. "I expect she'll be eating at the quarantine side of the table today."

"But she promised to keep time for me!" Don scowled.

"Well, it's not like it's her fault she got sick… or her fault that you haven't practiced all week. Not that it's going to matter with the way your brother is running," Ronnie shrugged.

"Oh, why doesn't he come down with the flu?" Don muttered.

"No sign of that. At least he was healthy last night when I saw him in the library," Ronnie said, turning back to her homework. But Don stood there and stared at her in a daze for a moment, before a smile crept on his face.

"Too simple," he said, pleased with himself.

"What's too simple?" Ronnie asked distractedly, frowning at her homework.

"You are," Don retorted when he realized he said it out loud, and then went to find his sister.

* * *

><p>It was early the next day just after breakfast that Beth wandered out to the Quidditch Pitch, exhaling when she saw that Mike was doing his warm ups by himself. Putting her hands behind her back, she walked over to him with a serious expression on her face.<p>

"Big day tomorrow," she said loudly, making him look up. "You've been working hard."

"Most everyone has been," Mike agreed. "But I'm surprised you're over here. Don will have a fit if he sees you."

"I'm more worried about father, actually. He's quick to cut off my allowance when it suits him," Beth said, looking over at the stands with a frown. "But I don't see him at the moment."

"Good, then I don't have to dodge him," Mike chuckled.

"Well, either way, I came over to wish you good luck tomorrow," Beth said. To Mike's surprise, she gave him a hug and kissed him very briefly on the cheek, just like she used to do when she was little. "Good luck, then!"

"Thank you," Mike said, more than a little confused by her support as she hurried away. His sister never had been mean to him like Don had been, Mike thought as he stretched his legs. Sometimes, it was because she was too self-absorbed to bother with it… or was that a fair assumption? Maybe she was growing up, Mike mused. Was it too much to hope that getting older was making her less blind to the problems within their own family?

When he waved to her in the library that evening, she nervously smiled and waved back. As always he was going to the Owl Room, so he didn't think about where she was sitting. It wasn't until the next morning when he woke up with a raspy cough that he realized she had been at the quarantine table. Mike attempted to cuss, but let out a moan instead.

Finally he rolled out of bed and got dressed, wincing at the occasional twinge in his muscles until he got into the potion wallet with after-training salves and potions and downed one for aches. He frowned at himself in the mirror before going down to the common room, seeking out Winnie, who was reading by the fireplace.

"Hi, Mike! Big day… woah, did you get any sleep last night?" Winnie asked with a frown.

"Yes, but I don't feel like I did," Mike growled. "Beth got me sick."

"Beth?"

"She wished me good luck yesterday and kissed me on the cheek to get me sick for today's race," Mike said. Winnie frowned.

"Wait… I'm confused. Are you sure it was on purpose? I mean, it sounds like she was just trying to be nice…"

"Since when? She hasn't been nice to me in years!"

"I've never seen her be mean to you, Mike, she's just avoided you…."

"Exactly. That should be proof enough!" Mike fumed. "I've got to go warm up."

"You're going to run anyway? I doubt they'd let you if they know you're sick…"

"Then I won't let them know," Mike said with a cough. Closing his eyes, he calmed it down, but Winnie shook her head at that. "Look. If I finish, I'll get points, even if I'm trailing the field. But if I don't start, I won't get any points at all, so of course I'm going to start. Got any make up I can borrow?" Winnie sighed and got up.

"Fine, but I really think you ought to stay in bed," she said.

"If I stay in bed, my brother wins," Mike said angrily. "What would you do if you were me?"

"I'd run, I think," Winnie admitted with a shrug. "I will help you, but don't judge Beth just yet, since we have no idea what Don may or may not have said to her. Let me go get my makeup kit, then let's go see Natalie. She probably knows of an herbal tea you can drink that's still competition legal and will take the edge off."

Before Mike really felt he was ready, he found himself walking towards the Quidditch Pitch… but hardly alone. Winnie, Diane, Natalie, and Chuck were all following behind him, stopping at the Hufflepuff's warm-up area and sending icy glares over at the other side where Don and Balt were waiting. They were already barefoot and lightly jogging in place while talking.

"I don't see Beth anywhere," Winnie said.

"She isn't likely to come down if she's still sick, is she?" Natalie said.

"I say we find a way to get even," Chuck fumed.

"What's done is done. Participating today is enough of a statement," Mike said, taking off his shoes.

"I'd think winning it would be an even better statement," Winnie said, Diane nodding solemnly in agreement.

Mike didn't answer. He felt as drained as if he had been running all day instead of getting out of bed an hour and a half ago. Not only couldn't he win, but he knew better than try to push himself for a decent time when he was sick; he'd only make himself worse, and there were still two more events to finish. Slipping off his shoes, he handed them off to Winnie before joining some of the other runners who were busier watching to clock than they were warming up. Most of them seemed quite relaxed…especially Terry and Hope, who had resigned themselves to participation points a week ago.

"Hullo, what's this?" Terry said, and Hope looked over to see Mike walking over to them. "Dragging our feet today, our we?"

"Long story," Mike said. "But don't get too close, I'm sick."

"That's not a long story," Hope snorted. "And I've already been sick."

"So have I. Bad luck coming down with it today, though. Are you sure they'll let you run?" Terry asked.

"Of course he's got to run, it's worth too many points," Hope said. "Do you have face paint on?"

"I'm going to run. I can't let Don win," Mike said, quickly stifling a cough. Hope and Terry looked at each other with a frown.

"Have you been training for this?" Hope asked.

"I've been studying for NEWTs, so I've just been doing the required Bellamy runs. You?" Terry asked.

"Well, no, not really, but I've been out on the football field a lot," Hope said. "I suppose it is up to us though, isn't it?"

"At the very least, let's try to break up Coventry and Ewen up. Letting them go one-two on this race would look bad on all of us," Terry said.

"Right," Hope said with a determined nod. "We should get over there. It looks like Bellamy is already assigning lanes."

"I hope he doesn't notice Mike dragging his feet then," Terry said.

"Well, I'm going to be set furthest back from the start since I'm on the pole, so maybe he won't notice," Mike said.

"All the same, let's do a light jog over. At least that way you can pretend to be energetic," Terry suggested. Reluctantly, Mike agreed with a nod, and the three of them jogged over, although not without Hope having to slow down a bit to match Mike's pace.

"There's the rest of the Hexathlon contenders! Not good to be late for a race," Bellamy chastised them.

"Just warming up, Commander," Hope protested. "Where are we at?"

"Willowby lane five, Havershaw lane six, and Coventry Michael in lane one, of course," Bellamy said.

"Great, our times were close so we can help pace each other," Hope said.

"You'll both have to do personal bests to even get on the podium, you know," Bellamy warned her, while Mike slipped away to take his place.

Don, still standing along the side talking to Balt, glanced up when Mike took his place and stepped onto track, both of them giving Mike a hard look as they passed by. Mike also noticed they also didn't get too close, either.

"Better keep out of my way today, family reject," Don advised as he took his place.

"Why? Afraid I might touch you or something?" Mike challenged him.

"You won't even get close to us," Balt said before taking his block.

"Less chat! More focus!" Bellamy shouted out. "Let's have no false starts today, either! Give the spectators your best form!"

"Never mind the spectators, I'm going to win. I don't need to cheat to do it," Don said.

"You already did that," Mike muttered.

"Did you say something?" Don challenged him, but Mike simply glared as the last of the runners took to the block.

Mike took his place, dusting off his feet before getting settled in an attempt to focus. One stade… or once around the track… Bellamy had them run three times, he reminded himself, but that was at a steady pace… surely even now he could do one at a steady pace, no matter how much his head hurt. Nodding in certainty that he could at least accomplish that, Mike's allowed himself to relax enough that he ran no risk of a false start. As he glanced up to where Commander Bellamy stood with his wand in the air, he realized that he couldn't quite get Bellamy into focus…

Before Mike was really ready, sparks flew out of the wand, and Mike, who had barely felt like he had taken his block, found himself desperately hugging the inner line, putting all of his attention into keeping it in focus and keeping himself from crossing over it. He was aware of the other runners around him, and the sound of his brother's voice. Don had said something… probably insulting… but was moving at such a pace that he hadn't caught it. It was just as well, Mike thought, feeling a rush of anger surging through him. Taking advantage of the momentary burst of energy, Mike launched himself forward, staying with the pack all the way around the first turn before finally sliding back, despite Terry's shouts of encouragement. In resignation, Terry then began to sprint forward, and Mike sensed from the crowd's reaction that he had successfully moved up from the outside.

_I hope he at least makes a good time,_ Mike thought to himself, his lungs feeling as if they were going to burst. In fact, as they went around the last turn, Mike realized his vision was tunneling in. _No,_ he told his body firmly. _You can't shut down now, not when you're this close._ With a last surge of adrenaline, Mike picked up his feet and sprinted, feeling as if he was moving faster than he ever had before as he raced for the finish line. There was nobody beside him or in front of him now… just like he was winning, he thought as he tumbled forward. Even as he blacked out, he wondered if he had made it, completely unaware that as he fell he had slid across the finish line.

"Out of the way! That includes you, Hope!" Ginny Potter snapped as she pushed them to the side.

"Michael! Goodness, he's breathing quite hard!" Sally Scribe said worriedly.

"Not only that, but he's wheezing…" Ginny said, putting an aroma potion under Michael's nose. "Almost as if…"

"Off the track, please!" barked Ace Bellamy as he charged over, pointing the students towards the inside before joining them. "Madame Potter, I was just informed by two of the other runners that Michael seemed to be ailing before the start of the race. They believe he may have caught that cough that's been going around…"

"You IDIOT!" Ginny shouted at the unconscious boy before calling up a stretcher. Sally and Ace quickly stepped in to get him on. Severus and Harry scrambled out of one of the boxes and hurried onto the track. "Stupid ego-driven bravado… what the hell are you trying to prove anyway? This is a damn GAME! Come on, let's get him to the medical wing… Headmaster! If you don't mind?"

"Take the Hufflepuff Quidditch doors in," Severus advised.

"What happened? Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Of course not! He's going to be a damned Auror!" Ginny snapped at Harry ferociously before quickly coasting the floating stretcher inside.


	28. Coventry Conundrums

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Coventry Conundrums

Mike woke up with a shiver, weakly pulling on tightly tucked in blankets before attempting to focus. Professor Scribe pulled a few straying strands of hair away from her face and smiled.

"Back from the dead, I see. How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Dry," Mike decided. Scribe nodded, helping him with a small water cup that had been by his bed.

"Quite a stunt you pulled, running like that when you obviously weren't well. Madame Potter was quite furious with you for risking your health for that race. Shall I get your mum?" Sally asked.

"My mother is here?" Mike said with a frown.

"She stayed with you until your fever broke, then Doctor Sagittari was able to convince her to get some rest at the Pavilions. Your grandfather requested to see you as well, but we all agreed that it was better to wait until we were sure you weren't contagious first," Scribe explained. "Your friends have been asking for you too, of course," she added.

"How long have I been in here?" Mike frowned.

"Only a couple of days… not long enough to get too far behind," Scribe assured him with a wink.

"Every day counts, Professor Scribe."

Sally Scribe looked up to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway.

"Oh, good morning, Headmaster," Scribe said with a smile.

"I came to drop off your runes homework, Mr. Coventry," Snape said, setting a scroll on the side table. "I need to ask you about something as well."

"Shall I excuse myself, Professor Snape?" Sally asked.

"No, I'm not staying more than a moment. It's about Hope Willowby, actually. She has lodged some complaints with Commander Bellamy, Madame Brittle, and Professor Weasley accusing Elizabeth and Donald of getting you sick 'on purpose,'" the Headmaster explained. "I wondered what your thoughts were on the matter, considering her accusations are pure hearsay, along with any evidence you would have to support such a claim."

Mike grew somber. Finding evidence of such a thing, he realized, was problematic at best.

"If I did suspect that something like that occurred, would Professor Craw look into it?" Mike asked carefully.

"And if she were to find out that your sister had a different motive and wasn't thinking about the consequences of her illness?" Snape asked.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, but Snape simply waited for an answer.

Was he asking him simply to let it go, Mike wondered? No, it was more complicated than that, and he what he really wanted was for Mike to decide how to proceed. The Headmaster had probably already consulted his wife on the matter, Mike realized. And if Beth had other reasons, Mike had little doubt that his brother had offered them. Mike sighed. Pursuing that would get complicated, he realized, and even if the Headmaster was willing to do so, it would certainly end up involving his father and mother, and that would likely cause a great deal of headaches for everyone concerned.

"It's just a game," Mike said at last. "Madame Potter's right about that… but I don't regret running, even if did make me sicker." The Headmaster nodded expressionlessly.

"Very well, then we'll just leave it at that… although we may have to convince your mother to do so as well…"

"I'll talk to her, sir," Mike said.

"Then we'll leave it at that… and make sure you expound on the essay questions, Mr. Coventry, to make up for your lost time in class," Snape advised before walking back out of the room.

Severus was unsurprised to find his wife was hovering just outside the door.

"Shouldn't you be heading to your first class by now?" Severus suggested.

"Oh… I was having a few words with Ashley," Jennifer said as an excuse, gesturing to the daycare room. "Was he awake? What did you tell him?"

"I didn't really tell him anything, I merely asked him about the situation. He has decided to let it go," Severus explained.

"Oh," Jennifer said in such a strange tone that Severus gazed at her quizzically. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"It sounded like a reasonable decision to me. It is just a game, after all…"

"And it's saving us some headaches if he does, I know," Jennifer said with a nod. "But you don't have Don in any of your classes now. You don't know how he's been."

"I hear quite a bit of it from Danyelle, actually, although I'm wondering about what you mean by that," Severus said, gesturing her down the corridor.

"Well, it's really sort of odd, Severus. I had no trouble reading him when it came to what happened at the foot race. It was quite obvious from his thoughts that he had talked Beth into it on the pretense of helping her get something she wanted from their father… just as obvious as she was only thinking about herself and not the consequences," Jennifer said with a shake of the head. "And yet at the same time, I keep wondering if he's blocking me or not."

"Blocking you?" Severus frowned.

"Not only blocking me, but feeling quite smug and confident about it working," Jennifer said. Severus squinted. "And yet, every time I ask him something specific, I have little trouble reading him. It's quite odd, really."

"Why haven't you mentioned this before? How long has it been going on?" Severus said.

"For a while now. I didn't mention it because I thought it was simply his way of attempting to toy with me. But what if there is something to it… and yet… if there is something to it, why would he so easily have let me read his part in getting his brother sick?" Jennifer asked. "Or anything else, for that matter."

"A good question," Severus said. "I think I'll drop by the library to see what sorts of books he's been checking out lately."

"Do you suppose he's been borrowing books on Occlumancy?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't know, but if he is, I want to know about it," Severus said. "I'll see you this evening." Jennifer nodded and went down the back stairs while Severus went the other way.

But as she got closer to the Potion Lab, Jennifer heard a lot of her student's voices, debating something heavily. As she cleared the last landing, she saw they were all standing in the corridor with the Ravenclaw statue blocking the door.

"Oh no, not her again!" Jennifer groaned.

"Now that your professor is here, I shall give you an easy one," Ravenclaw said calmly.

"You haven't so far," Helena scowled at her. "The last riddle was so convoluted we couldn't remember all the details."

"Water is my enemy. It wounds me, pounds me, and belittles me. But no matter how small the water makes me, I am still myself. What am I?" Jennifer furrowed her brows.

"Stone, obviously. We're not primary students," Don snapped.

"Yes, of course, obviously," Jennifer said, flustered and annoyed. The statue simply smiled and slid out of the way. Jennifer waited for her students to enter, muttering softly and wondering how much water and time it would take to rid her of a particular statue.

* * *

><p>"Professor Craw!" called out Abraxus Coventry just after Jennifer had opened the school's doors to the public after classes that day. Jennifer stifled a groan, and instead smiled and greeted one of the other parents. "I'd like a word if you don't mind."<p>

"Would it matter if I did mind?" Jennifer asked testily.

"Not really, no. My son told me at lunch today that your class was forced to stand in the corridors because some statue kept them from entering on time…"

"They weren't forced to do anything, Mr. Coventry. Professor Ravenclaw's statue is simply a door guard with a riddle key. If anything, they were only forced to use their heads. It isn't my fault they didn't guess her riddle," Jennifer said.

"Well, it is your fault she was there in the first place. And just why were you so late getting there?" he demanded.

"Frankly that is none of your business. Come to think of it, how doors are guarded in this school is really none of your business either," Jennifer said firmly, turning the corner in hopes that he would leave it at that.

But the moment she walked around the corner she regretted it, for the floor in the main corridor was completely flooded with water. Abraxus followed behind, his protests cut short after he caught sight of the corridor.

"What the blazes?" Coventry cursed. The high-pitched wail of a ghost echoed in the distance. "Just what exactly goes on here at this school?"

"Mr. Coventry, you were a student here once. There's no point in acting shocked over the fact that ghosts sometimes cause mischief in the castle," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"When I was in school, Dumbledore was the headmaster and he ran this castle like a tight ship. From everything I've witnessed this year, I think it's quite evident that the school seems to be running your husband instead of the other way around."

"How uncharacteristically observant of you," Jennifer said under her breath.

"I beg your pardon?" Coventry said, still huffing.

"I think you ought to go to whatever event you signed up for, Mr. Coventry, and voice your complaints in writing or at some other time. I obviously have other things to attend to and you are simply in the way at the moment," Jennifer said curtly.

"I think I'll take my complaints to the board," he threatened.

"Lovely. Good idea. Excuse me," Jennifer said, waving him off before attempting to follow the flooded corridor to its source. She was rather relieved to find that John Carnegie was already standing in front of the girl's bathroom near the Great Hall, attempting to chain the door open before Moaning Myrtle had a chance to lock it. "What in the world is she doing over here?"

"Ah, Professor Craw. My guess would be that she didn't feel like she would get enough attention in her usual bathroom," John Carnegie. "I've sent a student over to the Pavilions to fetch Doctor Black. I hope you don't mind…"

"No, of course not, you obviously had no choice. Any idea where Noah is?" Jennifer asked.

"Not yet, Professor. I sent a prefect off to try and find him," John said.

"Come to think of it, he may be out with the mounts, considering we moved the competition up by two weeks. I'll check out there and get back to you," Jennifer decided.

"Thank you, Professor Craw," John said, charming another mop into attempting to keep the corridor dry.

Jennifer decided to avoid the main entrance and worked her way towards the side doors nearest the Quidditch Pitch. She certainly didn't want to have to run into Abraxus again, she thought to herself, then frowned when she realized that he hadn't even bothered to ask how Michael was doing. She sighed softly at that and attempted to focus on the situation with Myrtle, walking around the outside of the Quidditch Pitch to get to the mounts.

As she passed the coaches that ferried guests back and forth from the Pavillion area, someone called out to her. She looked around to see Regina standing there, frowning critically as if wondering why Jennifer was there instead of diligently guarding her son.

"Hello, Regina. Did you get enough rest?" Jennifer asked politely.

"As well as can be expected," Regina said. "But I hardly want to exchange trivial formalities right now. I suppose you haven't checked on my son recently?"

"As a matter of fact, I just came from there. He woke up just a bit ago and seems to be doing much better. In fact, he'll probably be back to his old self in a day or two."

"That's what I am afraid of," Regina said. "I believe it would be better for everyone involved if Michael withdrew from all competitions in which he must compete against his siblings."

"I really don't think Michael would want to do that. After all, he's in the Hexathlon, and there are only two events left…"

"And one is jousting, Jennifer. Do you really thing Donald will pass up the opportunity to injure his brother in such a forum?" Regina snapped. "Besides, it isn't about what Michael wants. It's about the fact that I'm his mother, and I have the right to pull him if I like."

"Well, I suppose I could refer you to the headmaster about the matter, but I think I already know what he's going to say," Jennifer said. "Michael is a seventh year… and not only that, he's a seventh year who has pretty much been guaranteed acceptance in Auror training if he doesn't completely flub his NEWT exams. Not only is he not likely to want to quit after all he's already been through, it wouldn't look good on him or his future ambitions to do so just because he's running into obstacles."

"A lot of good his ambitions will do him if he gets himself killed…"

"Right now he's in a supervised environment, Regina. This is the best time for him to learn to roll with the punches, so he isn't as likely to get killed when he gets out in the real world. Anyway, that's what the Headmaster is likely to say, and in this case, I agree with him. However, if it'll make you feel better, I can probably arrange it so that they won't be paired in the earlier rounds, which means it's possible one of them may be eliminated before they have to face each other," Jennifer suggested.

"Possible, but quite unlikely. I raised very determined children, Professor Craw," Regina said.

"So you did, which is why I don't think Michael will listen if you try to talk him into quitting," Jennifer said with a smile, knowing very well she was going to try anyway. "Was there anything else you needed to see me about? I have another matter I need to attend to."

"I assume it's all right for me to visit Michael again," Regina said.

"Absolutely," Jennifer said with a smile. Regina simply nodded and walked towards the castle, giving Jennifer the opportunity to let out a long sigh before continuing on to the practice grounds.

Quite a number of students were out with their mounts; some practicing, but most grooming or talking to them while waiting their turns in the practice courses. Noah was one of them, so it was easy for Jennifer to wade her way through the students to where he and Shadow were standing near the side of the dressage area.

"Might I talk to you for a moment, Noah?" Jennifer said, Noah nodding at her in response.

"I am to be going soon, though. It's nearly my turn, you see," Noah said.

"It'll only take a moment, really, it's about Myrtle. You see, she's in one of her moods again and is causing quite a mess in the hall. Mr. Carnegie is quite put out about it, especially since we do have to finish the last of the indoor events tonight," Jennifer explained. "I don't suppose you'd talk to her after you're done with practice?"

"I suppose I shall since I usually do, but I want to ask you a question, Professor," Noah said solemnly. "Just how many other students do you ask to intervene when you have a problem with their girlfriend? Because I'm not sure you'd be doing it if I were human."

Jennifer stared at him a moment, then grimaced.

"I suppose you're right, Noah. I never thought of it. I guess it became a habit since you both were here long before you became a student," Jennifer explained.

"Yes, which is why I wonder how come it is that people have been coming to me more about Myrtle since I became a student than anyone ever did before I was one," he complained.

"Perhaps that's true, although I must say that I don't remember her ever being as bad as now, so I think that's the reason. Still, you are right. We shouldn't always be bringing the matter to you, should we?" Jennifer said apologetically. "Even so, if you know what's upsetting her…"

"Probably the same things that always upset her," Noah said curtly, mounting up. Jennifer nodded and took a step back as Noah led Shadow towards the square.

"So, I'm not the only ghost that can put you in your place from time to time," came the voice of Icarus from behind Jennifer.

"He hardly put me in my place, Ick. I simply agreed that he had a point," Jennifer said defensively. "I don't suppose you know what's put Myrtle off this time?"

"Oh… it was Noah, more than likely. It always is," Ick explained. Jennifer put her hands on her hips.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Jennifer demanded, but her pause met only silence. "Ick? Ick, where did you go? Oh, these damned ghosts!" she swore, muttering as she stormed across the Quidditch Pitch. She was nearly halfway across when she heard her father's voice and turned around, frowning at the expression on his face.

"You're going in the wrong direction," Thomas said.

"Actually, I'm in the middle of attending to a ghost problem. Why, is something else going on?" Jennifer asked.

"Leave the ghosts to Zack and come with me to the Pavilions. I think that'll prove to be even more of a headache than whatever the hell you're on about," Thomas said.

"One of the tents got broken into?" Jennifer asked anxiously, turning to walk with him. "Is Harry over there?"

"Yes, but even his patience is wearing thin," Thomas grunted. "Considering who it was." Jennifer studied her father and then groaned.

"Oh no. Anything but that! Not Abraxus Coventry! I've already had my fill of him today!" Jennifer grumbled. "Who would break into a tent anyhow, especially _his_ tent?"

"I can think of a number of reasons. Not only is Coventry an unpopular man, but he is also a rich, unpopular man," Thomas pointed out.

"Yes, well so are you," Jennifer snorted.

"I'm only rich on paper. Abraxus flaunts his wealth and is known to spend lavishly," Thomas said.

"True, but he isn't going to go overboard with spending inside a tent, is he? Well, I suppose he might, but how likely is it that money is a motive when only one tent was broken into?" Jennifer asked.

"Unlikely," Thomas said. "But it's bound to come up in the bluster, isn't it?"

Thomas didn't bother ringing the tent bell when they arrived, walking in to see Harry standing just inside wearing an even expression, watching Abraxus pace the floor as he ranted.

"The entire situation is quite unacceptable. I have half a mind to sue the school for failing to secure the premises," Abraxus threatened.

"Considering that half the LE department and all of my Aurors have been checking up on the Pavilions and the school when they're off duty, I really don't think you would have a case, Mr. Coventry," Harry pointed out. "They've done everything they can."

"All of those supposedly 'checking up' on us and yet no one saw anything suspicious at all?" Abraxus said.

"Well, I have Aurors asking some of the others staying here to find out if anyone noticed anything out of the ordinary, but no one who was on watch saw anything worth reporting this morning," Harry said.

"And just why is it that that gargoyle guarding the door of the pavilion wasn't there this morning?" Abraxus asked. "It almost feels like that part of it was set up."

"Great Craters, it's like being stuck in a repetition spell. How the blazes do you put up with it?" Thomas said in a loud enough voice that Harry and Abraxus looked up.

"I wonder that myself sometimes," Jennifer said under her breath.

"I didn't give anyone permission to enter!" Abraxus protested.

"It's a crime scene. It's too late for invitations," Thomas snorted. "And nobody's setting anything up with the gargoyles. They tend to stay close by the castle when there's an event inside, if you haven't noticed, and they're finishing up the team Go and Wizard Hearts competition tonight."

"Yes, and the rest of events are outdoors, so I expect the gargoyles will be filtering out here soon enough," Jennifer said. "Someone may have simply noticed that it was gone and took advantage of the opportunity."

"Right, although right now it doesn't look like anyone came in except for those who had tents. I think I'll go confirm that real quick," Harry said, glad for the excuse to leave Coventry to someone else for a few minutes.

"So, exactly what was taken from here? Everything seems in order," Jennifer asked.

"My business attaché, full of sensitive scrolls and several prototypes of our new glass phials and beakers." Abraxus said.

"Who would want something like that? And why would you bring something like that here in the first place?" Jennifer asked.

"Do you mind? You're a professor, not an investigator," Abraxus said indignantly.

"He's right, Jen-girl, just stand there unless you're spoken to," Thomas said, getting a glowering look from his daughter in response. "Abraxus, why did you bring your business documents to a sporting event?"

"Plenty of my business associates are also staying here for one event or another, I am simply using the times between events to get some work done. I'm hardly the only one. You've been to Brogan's corner at night, you know what it's like," Abraxus said.

"Well, I do, and there's not supposed to be any alcohol on property –"

"Let's not get off the subject, Jen-girl. You should make a list of anything sensitive, Abraxus, and give it to Harry to look at," Thomas suggested.

"Fine, but if anything bad comes out of this financially, I am holding the school responsible," Abraxus threatened.

"You can't. At least not legally," Thomas said, Abraxus blinking in response. "Didn't you read the agreement Professor Weasley made you sign when you rented a space here? The school isn't responsible for any mishaps, accidents, or losses. You're going to have to handle this through Harry and hope he comes up with the culprit. You can sue him if you like," he added. "Come along, Jen-girl, I need to speak with you a moment."

Jennifer followed him out, taking a breath of relief but glad he didn't continue the conversation until they were well out of the pavilion.

"So? What was he thinking about in there?" Thomas said.

"Oh, just what we were talking about. He was trying to remember everyone he had shown or was planning to speak to about his new business plan for his alchemist supply company," Jennifer said. Thomas frowned. "Do you want me to make a list of some of the people he was thinking about?"

"Hm. Actually, I was toying with the idea that this was something he set up himself," Thomas admitted. Jennifer blinked, and then shook her head.

"No, I rather think that would have been quite clear to me if he had, he's pretty easy to read. He's also fairly certain it was a competitor of his," Jennifer said.

"Which would mean the break in would have had a money motive, and I have already explained to you that is quite unlikely, case or no case. I wonder if something else is missing that he may have overlooked," Thomas murmured.

"Something else?" Jennifer said thoughtfully. "You mean that the case may possibly be covering up for something else, knowing that it'd be one of the first things he'd check for?"

"If so, it means it could be someone else close to him who had done it, knowing his general habits, and therefore would still fit in to my idea that this was an inside job of some sort," Thomas concluded. "I don't suppose you could have a word with Regina? After all, she has been in and out of here recently…"

"Me? Oh, no, that's not fair. I don't want to talk to her again, I've already had words with her today already, and I happen to know she's spent most of her time looking after Michael… oh, wait… she did come over here to rest didn't she?" Jennifer realized with a groan. "Can't you do it?"

"You know perfectly well why I want you to do it. She may have come over here looking for something sentimental and for some reason didn't want to deal with her ex over it, and if so, I have a feeling the case will reappear on its own, don't you? The sooner she's questioned, the sooner we can drop this whole thing and deal with real problems. This is nothing more than a petty headache," Thomas said.

"That may be, but right now my headache is pulsing," Jennifer grumbled. "Fine, I'll go talk to her again, although I'm sure she won't be in the best of moods, because I'm certain that Michael will resist her wishes for him to withdraw."

"Considering your mood, you can call it even then," Thomas suggested. "I'll be back in my tent when you're done. You can send a message through Maurice if you like, he'll be coming over for dinner."

"Fine, but I'm not sure I approve of your getting him involved all the time," Jennifer said, knowing the complaint was bound to be ignored as she made her way back over to the other side.

As she neared the hospital wing, Jennifer heard Regina's voice in the hall, followed by the low and yet firm voice of Severus. Sighing at the inevitability of it all, Jennifer walked up the stairs.

"It doesn't matter how safe you think it is for most students. I simply do not think it's safe for Michael," Regina said firmly. Jennifer had the feeling that it wasn't the first time she had said it.

"Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. Perhaps we should discuss this together with his future employer's input. Good afternoon, Jennifer. I don't suppose you have seen Potter recently?" Severus asked.

"Oh, well, yes, but he may be a bit busy at the moment. Apparently, Abraxus' tent was broken into. Someone stole his business case," Jennifer explained, glancing at Regina.

"That's what he gets for bringing it here in the first place then. He should be paying attention to our children's events, not his latest business scheme," Regina said curtly.

"For once, I tend to agree with you," Jennifer admitted.

"In that case, let's continue this conversation in the morning, shall we? I would like to speak to Michael about it myself when tempers aren't as flared," Severus suggested.

"Fine, but I shan't be changing my mind," Regina warned. "Good evening!"

Jennifer stood there with a frown and watched her walk down several flights of stairs before she finally walked into the nursery to find a friendly painting.

"Would you please get word to Maurice Craw to tell his father tonight that Regina has nothing to do with it?" Jennifer said.

"A bit cryptic, but I shall pass on the message," the portrait of a Victorian nanny replied before stepping out of the frame.

"That was a bit cryptic," Severus agreed, leaning in the doorway behind her. "Wouldn't it be better to tell him yourself?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm quite done up with anything having to do with the Coventry family today," Jennifer said briskly. "Good afternoon, Ashley! How was Quintin?"

"He's a very good boy, Jennifer. But he does go on about broken clocks. Every hour, as a matter of fact," Ashley added with amusement. "Even after I fixed the clock."

"We've been having similar problems," Jennifer said, picking up Quintin who seemed disinterested in the conversation. "But really, it's such a small thing, isn't it? Seems to me most other parents have a lot more serious problems with their children." Severus gazed at her thoughtfully.

"True enough," Ashley agreed with a smile. "I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

"Thank you, Ashley! We'll see you in the morning," Jennifer said.

"Of course! Have a good evening," Ashley replied with a wave.

"I hope that doesn't mean you want to discontinue our attempts at getting him used to a variable schedule," Severus murmured as they stepped into the hall.

"Well, not yet, but I am having second thoughts about it. After all, most parents spend months trying to get their children on schedules, and yet here we are attempting to break him of it," Jennifer pointed out.

"Yes, well, not of their children go to the same extreme that ours does when he is off of it," Severus replied.

"True, but it is such a small thing, isn't it? Compared to some children, ours was always so well behaved, really…"

"I will be glad when that new alloy is set so we can finish that prototype. Then you can continue on your memory research," Severus said flatly. "Although I'm not sure it will help with selective memory."

"All right, I suppose they all had their moments, especially Aurelius… I spent many hours worrying that he wouldn't make it through school, and he very nearly didn't. But he got through it. I can name quite a few of students that didn't," Jennifer said.

"I am certain I can name many more than you can of those that didn't," Severus said quietly.

"And what of their parents? How did they feel when they watched their son or daughter fall after loving them and raising them and hoping for their success?" Jennifer asked.

"A majority of the ones I witnessed go through that didn't have that support network, Jennifer. Hogwarts was the only thing going for them; and most had developed an extreme distrust of any adult or authority figure by the time they arrived," Severus murmured.

"But not all of them, Severus. Some of them had good parents that did their best to do what was right, but as their children grew older they lost their influence over their children. Like Regina for example…"

Severus stopped walked and stared at Jennifer until she looked back at him curiously.

"I think you may be working too hard, Jennifer. How can you possibly sympathize with Regina? Although I admit she has become slightly more tolerable since the divorce, she is hardly an innocent party when it comes to her children's problems, including Donald's," Severus said with annoyance.

"I know, Severus, but at the same time, in her mind she thought she was doing her best for her children. Really, when it comes down to it, all any parent does is try to do their best, and no parent is perfect. I dare say a great many out there probably don't approve of our parenting skills either," Jennifer conjectured. "Who are we to judge, really?"

"Their teachers," Severus said flatly. "And as such, we do have a right to express our opinion, since their welfare during their time here is our business, as well as their educational development; both of which are directly affected by their personal well being. And that woman is nearly as guilty of their spoiled upbringing as Abraxus is."

"Not in her opinion…" Jennifer interjected.

"No, I would think not. But what her intent hardly changes the situation at hand, does it?" Severus said. "Tell me, was she thinking about something just now that started all of this?"

"Well, when I mentioned the break in, she instantly thought that Donald might have done it, although she really couldn't fathom why he would have needed it. I really can't think of a reason, either, but she was quite bothered by the fact that it was the first person she thought of…"

"I see, so it was very much like you felt any time anything happened that Aurelius may have been responsible for…"

"That's not fair, Severus. Circumstances were different. They're nothing alike," Jennifer said defensively.

"Perhaps not, but the situation itself reminds you of it, does it not?" Severus confronted her.

"I suppose it does in some ways. But in spite of the past, I can't help but sympathize a bit with her feeling helpless to doing nothing but watching as her son self-destructs. Really, Severus, isn't there any more that we can do?" Jennifer asked.

"Danyelle has been my study every day, asking for advice," Severus admitted in a low voice. "She is doing what she can, but she feels that her efforts are simply not getting through to him. I have been watching when I can, but even with a bit of turning here and there it is nearly impossible to keep up. Having Quintin here would have been enough time restraint, but the games are taking their toll… on everyone, really, staff and students alike."

"Well, I admit I'm quite relieved that it all moves outside after tonight," Jennifer agreed.

"Perhaps you can convince Andrew to take your shift tomorrow and we can take tomorrow night off," Severus suggested.

"He's already working my shift tomorrow, but it does us no good, I'm afraid. Leu's next Hurling match is tomorrow night," Jennifer said with a sympathetic smile. "How about just having a day off dealing with any Coventry family members? I would be much in favor of that," she added enthusiastically.

"If I could arrange it, it'd already be done," Severus agreed in kind as they continued on to the study.


	29. A Line is Crossed

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Line is Crossed

Hope was out on the field early, giving her the chance to be one of the first to choose a jousting lance. Each one had a huge white-gloved hand at the end, but some seemed more animated than others. A few of the contestants seemed to be wary of the ones that seemed overly tense or aggressive, but Hope was drawn to them, choosing one with a clenched and trembling fist.

"Are you sure that one will work all right?" Leu instantly questioned her. Natalie and Charles were both nodding approvingly.

"It's ready for battle, and that's good enough for me. I'm going to knock Don's block off today," Hope said with determination.

"You won't be paired with him," Charles said, shaking his head. "Students only perform one joust during the prelims, and if you lose, you're don't go to the final. There're twenty-five competitors, so chances are you'll probably end up facing someone else."

"It also depends on how they determine competing pairs. You'll probably have to face someone in your own year, Hope," Natalie pointed out. "Besides, I don't think they'd put the hexathlon against each other like that."

"It's a fifty-fifty chance of any of us getting in the finals, regardless of who it is that we face on the first round," Hope pointed out. "Besides, who we fight also could be completely random."

"Well, so far the only competitions that have been completely random are some of the indoor games," Charles put in.

"Look, Madame Brittle is over by the events table now," Leu said, directing their attention to the other side of the jousting area.

Taking her chosen lance with her, Hope and her supporters walked over as a group. Madame Brittle smiled thinly at them before walking over to join Bellamy downfield. Hope peered at the scroll that Brittle had tacked to the table, then pumped her fist.

"Yes! I do have Don today!" she informed them triumphantly.

"Seriously?" Charles gawked at her, then checked the list himself.

"It's going to be a rough first round," Natalie said. "You'll have trouble making it to the final."

"Are you kidding? I'll make it. Don doesn't deserve to go any farther after what he did to Mike," Hope said firmly.

Leu peered at the list, wondering who Mike was facing. At first he missed his name entirely, then realized it was at the bottom of the sheet.

"What does this star by Mike's name mean?" Leu asked.

"There are an odd number of contestants, so it means he passes to the next level on a bye. He goes to the finals without having to compete," Natalie explained.

"Rather lucky… if this list is actually random. But I bet it isn't," Charles said. "I have a feeling our grandfather had something to do with this. He's probably hoping that Don will get knocked out of the competition before he and Mike have to face off."

"You mean he's hoping I'm going to win," Hope said with a serious expression.

"I'm sure he'd want you to win anyway, being his granddaughter," Natalie pointed out.

"True, but this is different. Now he's counting on me," Hope said.

"Well, yeah. No pressure or anything," Charles said dryly.

But Hope wasn't paying attention. She was watching Mike walk over to read the list. After greeting him casually, the four of them grew quiet as Mike found his name and he tensed up, immediately focusing in on Madame Brittle and striding across the Pitch.

"This isn't going to be pretty," Hope predicted.

"If we're right, there isn't anything Brittle is going to be able to do about it," Natalie said. "Come on, Hope. Let's get to the field so you can warm up. You have a match to win."

"I sure do," Hope agreed with determination, handing off the lance to Charles so she could get out her broom.

Jennifer paused on the other side of the stadium and studied them for a few moments before wandering up to where Severus was sitting.

"Problem?" he asked.

"No, not really, although I believe that Mike is upset about not competing today," Jennifer said.

"I'm sure Madame Brittle will let him know the situation," Severus murmured.

"You mean that his mother wouldn't have agreed to let him compete otherwise?" Jennifer guessed. Severus gave her a dirty look. "You know, Hope and the others suspect that her match might have been fixed…"

"If Hope and Don both did well, they would have crossed paths anyway, Jennifer, it's no different than me setting matches when we taught sparring," Severus said defensively.

"I agree. It's exactly like you setting matches when we taught sparring," Jennifer said with amusement.

"Don't you have a security shift right now?" Severus reminded her with a scowl.

"Yes, but I think I'll stick very close to the field in case this backfires… or more importantly, in case it doesn't," Jennifer said. Severus gave her a curt nod, and Jennifer worked her way back out of the stands. She paused when she saw Don and Ryan walking over to read the list, frowning slightly before moving on.

"Hope Willowby. I've been meaning to put that doris in her place. Won't make much for a first round, though. It'll be over on the first pass," Don snorted. "I'll have to really hold back if I want to rough her up a bit first."

"I'd say she deserves it after what she's been saying about your sister," Ryan agreed. "Which lance do you want?"

"The strongest one, of course," Don said, and the two of them began inspecting them.

"I knew we should have gotten here sooner," Ryan said, picking one up and angling it so he could inspect the lines. "This one is probably the best of the ones that are left, but that hand on the end looks awfully docile." Don shrugged at him then took the lance, beating the hand against the ground several times as hard as he could until the hand formed an angry fist.

"It's fine now," Don said, handing it out to Ryan, who reluctantly took it back. "Where is my deadbeat brother?"

"He was at the bottom of the list with no opponent listed," Ryan said.

"Probably our bitch of a mum trying to keep him from getting hurt," Don said. Ryan snickered. "No matter, I'll simply get him in the next round, assuming there's not another Snape bias against me. Who's the guest judge?"

"Percival Weasley, looks like," Ryan said, nodding over to where Percy stood with Brittle and Bellamy.

"That's all right then. I doubt he'd be prejudiced against me when I'm going out with his daughter," Don said, Ryan glancing sideways at him.

"Sure she's even told him about you? She always denies it, you know," Ryan said. "And I don't think her family would likely approve of you."

"What? The whole family is a knut away from bankruptcy! I'd think they'd be thrilled that at least one of them won't spend their entire life in debt. She's the one that needs to worry about proving herself to my family, not the other way around," Don snorted.

"Listen, they're doing announcements to the crowd now, won't be long," Ryan warned.

"Let's do it, then," Don said, and the two of them walked over to the rail, studying the markings to see which side they were on. He then squinted over to the opposite side of the rail where Natalie was hefting Hope's lance.

"Are you ready, Hope?" Natalie asked.

"Doesn't really matter if I'm ready or not at this point, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Hope said, checking the harness on her broom before mounting it. The harness was a bit awkward to her, attached to her right arm and left foot and designed to keep the broom steady and level underneath her during the charge.

"Take your places," Bellamy said, holding up a flag with the school crest on it. Natalie helped her sister get the lance under her arm and stepped away, while Ryan did the same for Don. It was only then that Hope realized that Don's strength would give him a significant advantage in keeping the lance steady.

Before she knew it, Bellamy let the flag drop and she found herself awkwardly pushing her broom forward. Even with the straps, she realized it would be a challenge just keeping the lance level. As the two of them passed one another, the hands attached to both lances stretched and swatted each other without even coming close to touching each other.

Natalie ran to meet Hope, pulling up the lance while Hope turned around.

"That looked hard. It's a pity they didn't let any of you practice for this," Natalie said.

"I think that would have worked out to his advantage rather than mine," Hope admitted, getting settled and taking the lance back.

Before Hope had time to formulate a strategy, the flag was down again, and she found herself charging towards the center. But the second that Don passed the ribbon that marked the challenge area, his lance swooped over and came in sideways, and Hope was forced to drop her lance and duck to keep it from clothes-lining her.

"First warning, Coventry," Bellamy boomed out. "I know those lances are hard to control, but remember that headshots are prohibited."

"It's not my fault she's an effing midget," Don retorted before handing the lance to Ryan and getting ready for the next pass.

"All right?" Natalie asked, taking the lance so that Hope could turn around.

"I'd be better if he wasn't twice as strong and twice my size," Hope muttered.

"Well, maybe, but you have twice as much heart and twice as much conviction," Natalie said firmly. "Don't forget what he did to Mike. The professors won't do anything, but that doesn't mean he oughtn't be held accountable."

"You're right," Hope said, readjusting her straps and holding her hand out for her lance again.

"Can you fly any higher?" Natalie asked.

"We're not allowed to go above the rail, but I'll try to push the limit," Hope agreed, focusing in on Bellamy.

The flag dropped in a flash, and in that same flash, Hope realized this was probably going to be her last chance. Pushing broom up to the rail close enough that her knee scraped the edge so she knew where it was, Hope focused in on the tape that marked the start of the pass. The moment she passed it, she immediately drew up her lance with all her strength and managed to catch Don while he was still bringing his up. Spreading its fingers wide, the hand on her lance squarely met his chest and pushed him hard off his broom. Hope was forced to dodge his lance as it flipped over her side and she stumbled to a stop, wincing from both the burn on her leg and the loud ruckus of the crowd before finally releasing the broom and standing up for a triumphant pose. Don looked furious as he yanked off his harness and threw his broom out of his range. Even Ryan didn't look to be any hurry to get near Don, veering around as he went to fetch the lance.

"Serves you right to be flat on your back after what you did to your brother," Hope said.

Without warning, Don leapt to his feet and charged her, Hope taking a step back from the rail as Bellamy and Percy dove in and pulled Don back as he tried to hurdle over to her side.

"Stand down at once, Coventry! And watch your language!" Bellamy snapped, casting a mute spell on him.

"A bit of a loose comet, isn't he?" Percy huffed, having trouble keeping him from breaking free. But just then, Madame Brittle came running over from the sidelines.

"I'll handle this. Willowby! You and your sister return that equipment and get off the field you're done for the day," Brittle snapped. "Now, if you don't mind!"

"Gee, congrats, well done, Hope," Hope muttered as she and Natalie went towards the lance rack.

"I'm sure she was thinking it, but she does have her hands full trying to calm Don down. Did you see his eyes?" Natalie said in a low, concerned voice. "I swear if he had his wand just then he might have tried to kill you."

"I'm not afraid of Don Coventry," Hope retorted indignantly. Natalie sighed, knowing that nothing she said would change Hope's attitude, and yet she couldn't help but worry. Don was different somehow… worse than ever… Natalie thought. But Natalie really didn't know what she could do about it. At the very least, they didn't have to worry about Don and Mike coming to blows anymore.

"I bet grandfather will be pleased, at least," Natalie commented as an afterthought. Hope nodded with satisfaction at that.

Severus was still sitting in the same spot when Jennifer finished her security shift, the last of the jousters putting away the equipment as he marked off the winners on a small parchment.

"I'm back. Are we going up to the boxes to watch the Hurling match?" Jennifer asked.

"Presently. Are you going to rescue Andrew from Quintin duty?" Severus asked.

"No, I gave him instruction to let my father watch him once it was time for his shift," Jennifer explained. "That way we can grab something to eat without having to miss any of the Ravenclaw-Slytherin match. I swear we missed at least half of Leu's last match with all the back and forth we had to do. It will be nice not to be interrupted, especially when Ravenclaw is doing so well."

"In Wizard Hurling, yes…" Severus said. Jennifer made a face.

"So they haven't been as stellar in any of the other team sports. We still have several games to go, you know. We may still medal," Jennifer defended.

"Considering there are only four teams in each category and three out of the four get medals, I would say you have a good chance of getting at least one," Severus said, Jennifer making another face at him. "Did you happen to run into Danyelle on your way up?" he asked as he stood.

"Last I checked she was still in her office with Don," Jennifer said with a sigh. "I hope she's not late to referee Wizard Hurling because of it."

"I would rather she give Don whatever time he needs and ask Bellamy to fill in if needed," Severus said. Jennifer gazed at him solemnly and nodded.

"Yes, of course you're right," Jennifer agreed, following him to the Three Brooms tent.

* * *

><p>Don came out of Brittle's office with a stone cold expression on his face. He had been able to calm down enough in appearance to convince her to let him go, at least, he brooded, kicking random pedestals on the way down the corridor and even managing to knock one over before slipping into the secret passages. He stopped and stared down the maze of dead ends, dark and quiet, before finally turning towards Slytherin, passing through to find that the common room was also rather quiet, for most had gone to watch the Hurling match. Helena hadn't, Don realized, squinting when he realized that she was one of a handful that were lingering. She had settled in at the table next to the reference materials, so absorbed in her work that she hadn't noticed him even come in. Growling softly, Don went to his room and opened up his trunk, feeling below the lock to unlatch a small enclosed space at the bottom where he kept a couple of phials. Checking the color, he stashed them in his pocket. At least he could salvage something out of his day, he thought to himself, smiling thinly before going back to Conspiracies.<p>

"Didn't bother going to jousting, I see," Don said, frowning at the stack of books she had spread out as if intentionally trying to monopolize the table.

"I'm saving my money for finals, of course… and I really need to study for my NEWT, they have to be nearly perfect," Helena said with a sigh. "So what did I miss?"

"Not much. Hope Willowby got away with cheating again by letting her lance down early," Don said stonily, Helena looking up at him in response.

"That is bad luck, but there's no reason to pop a blood vessel about it. I mean, all you needed to do was to participate to secure the points needed for first place in the Hex, correct? Even if the others win this event, they're vying for second," Helena reminded him.

"That's right. I've won the Hex," Don said, finally starting to relax. "So that cheap victory was for nothing!"

"Not to mention it'll probably get her off your back about the foot race, she probably won't bring it up again if she feels like she got the best of you," Helena added. Don squinted.

"Nobody gets the best of me," Don said icily. Helena sighed at that.

"But she hasn't, really, because you won. And now that it's over, all you have to worry about is Quidditch, so you'll have time to study for tests as well," Helena said.

"No point in studying. I'm going to inherit my father's companies no matter how bad my marks are," Don shrugged.

"You seem to be doing all right in Craw's class, or is that just to keep her off your back?" Helena asked.

"No, she's not a problem anymore," Don snorted. "I simply saw it in my best interests to apply myself in it. Potions are the most powerful magic in the world, you know."

"I rather think that's a highly debatable point, don't you?" Helena said.

"Not really, and it's easy to back up. I can even show you if you like," Don said.

"I'd rather you showed me by helping me study for the Potions portion of this exam," Helena said.

"Fine, I suppose we can start there," Don said, taking off his coat.

"Aren't you going to change first?" Helena said, realizing he was still in his competition tunic.

"Not unless you plan on helping me," Don said evenly, earning an eye roll.

"Now, you know I'm not interested in that sort of relationship right now, so let's just end the flirting there, all right?" Helena said.

"Fine, but this playing hard to get thing really is getting old," Don said.

"I'm not playing," Helena answered in annoyance. "Will you help me with alchemic notation?"

"Fine, but I'm getting a tea. Want one?" he asked.

"No, not right now," Helena said, impatient to get back to work. She set aside her Charms practice test and sorted through her scrolls, rolling out the one for Potions. Don returned with his tea and sat down, setting a drink in front of her as well. "Ugh, I don't need something else on this table. I did say I didn't want anything right now, Don."

"You said you didn't want tea. It's pumpkin juice," Don said. Helena sighed and downed it to get rid of it.

"A bit bitter, isn't it? Anyway, I'm having trouble with this section of the practice test," Helena explained, turning the scroll sideways and pointing it out.

"Really? That's all first year stuff, you know," Don said calmly. Helena stared at him. "At least, it was all in our first year Potions book, don't you remember?"

"The hideous book! I'd almost forgotten… really, I wanted to forget it. That's right, it had an appendix on all of this…" Helena said, then paused, rubbing her temple.

"All right?" Don asked, taking her cup. Glancing around, he stashed it his pocket.

"I just forgot where I put my… what was I thinking about again?" Helena asked herself.

"Were you asking me?" Don prompted, causing Helena to look up. She focused in on him with a frown, studying him as if she hadn't even known he was there until just then.

"I don't remember," Helena admitted, turning bright red.

"Good, then I think it's time that you and I take a walk to celebrate my victory, don't you?" Don suggested.

"Oh, I'll go wherever you want!" Helena said enthusiastically, jumping up and wrapping her arm around one of his.

"That's right. No more nasty playing hard to get, you're going to show me how you really feel about me," Don said calmly.  
>"All right," Helena said amiably as Don walked her towards the hall. Just then, Veronica rushed in, looking out of breath and quite surprised to see Helena on Don's arm.<p>

"What? Hullo! Going to Wizard Hurling? We're running late, it's already started, you know," she said.

"We're going for a walk," Helena giggled.

"Oh? Why?" Ronnie asked, baffled.

"Oh, shut up and mind your own business, you hole," Don growled before walking her out of the common room and towards the secret passages.

"How very odd," Ronnie murmured to herself, looking around.

Frowning at the study tables, she walked over to the one covered with books and scrolls, some of them open, and a cup of tea, which she immediately sniffed suspiciously.

Wondering if it was only her imagination, she then noticed a trail of drops leading from the far side of the table opposite the cup of tea to the table edge. That sort of carelessness wasn't like Helena either; she had nearly seven years of first hand accounts of what happened when a student faced the wrath of the school's goblin librarian. And Boulderdash in turn had at every opportunity stressed to the Owls never to have drinks and books on the same table. Feeling a bit silly, she picked up the scroll with the biggest drop and sniffed it… pumpkin juice, she decided. And perhaps something else? Maybe that was simply the smell of the parchment? But what if it wasn't? Feeling her heart pick up speed, Ronnie couldn't help but feel things didn't add up. She darted off to her room, throwing stuff out of her trunk to get to her Potions testing kit, and to the most basic solution designed to test potency… at the very least, it would give her an indication of there was anything other than pumpkin juice there. Grabbing a dropper, she hurried back out to Conspiracies, dropping the test liquid onto the scroll. Frowning at the results, she dashed out to the Quidditch Pitch.

Don almost wished his mates and some of the other Slytherin had opted not to go to the game. It would have given him quite a personal satisfaction for them to have seen her clinging to him like that. That would put them all in their place, he thought with a triumphant smile. She had always been his; they just didn't know it. Perhaps she didn't even know it, but she would after this… Helena stopped short, frowning in confusion at the Slytherin statue at the end of the hall.

"It's just a statue. It hasn't moved an inch in years, despite all that goes on back here. We have nothing to worry about," Don said evenly. "Now kiss me." Immediately Helena obeyed, futilely attempting to judge by Don's emotions if she wasn't doing what he wanted… but he was showing little emotion.

"No, that's not good enough. Maybe you should take your jumper off first," he suggested.

"That would make you happier?" Helena asked imploringly.

"It's a start," Don decided, watching as she did as she was told. "In fact, you're going to do everything I suggest if you want to make me happy, and more than once. I'm going to make sure you have a lasting impression of tonight. Then you'll know without a doubt you have no choice but to belong to me."

But as he kissed her again and whispered his next order, he heard a soft, somewhat low, animal growl. Wondering if one of his mates had skipped the game after all, Don looked first towards the dark hallway behind them. But as he turned back around, he noticed that there was a ghostly cat with its back in the air standing in front of the statue, hissing at him.

Before he could let out more than a handful of cuss words, the cat was on him, floating above Helena and landing on Don's head. Ferociously it attacked him, the ghostly claws coming out as Don wailed for help, but as Helena searched for her wand to intervene, the outstretched hand of the Slytherin statue suddenly moved, forcefully sweeping her back. The heavy statue than turned its back on Don, holding Helena against the wall with the arm firmly discouraging her from trying to escape.

The cat's vicious cries and Don's pleading calls drowned out the clamor of footsteps racing down the hall, so it seemed quite a shock when the passage lit up with a bright light as the Professor Craw and the Headmaster arrived to witness the scene.

"Argus! Argus Filch, you will stop this at once! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!" Severus belted out, while Jennifer scrambled to try to pull a bottle out of her cloak. But the ghost cat finally looked up and stared down the headmaster defiantly before finally leaping down, still hissing menacingly at Don.

As Severus knelt down to look over Don's wounds, Jennifer worked her way over to the other side of the statue, to find Helena crouched down, sobbing.

"Don's hurt," Helena sobbed.

"It's all right now. Let me give you something to make you feel better," Jennifer said, taking out a spare cloak from her cloak chest pocket and covering her before pulling out an antidote potion.

"Jennifer?" Severus asked.

"Let's just say Ronnie was right to be concerned. I'm giving her something now, but she'll need to be monitored overnight for certain," Jennifer said.

"Exactly what did you give her, Coventry?" Severus asked, roughly blotting Don's wounds with a cloth.

"That stupid cat tried to kill me! My father will make you pay for this! He'll sue you for everything you've got!" Don spat. Severus sighed and took out his wand, petrifying him without a word.

"Jennifer, once you get her to take that, get her settled in the hospital wing, I'm taking this one to St. Mungo's," Severus said with an even expression.

"You're taking him in that condition?" Jennifer asked, betraying her surprise towards Severus' actions.

"Does it really matter at this point?" Severus asked tersely, looking through his key ring before grabbing a hold of Don's shirt, covering up the crest with his hand as the two of them disappeared.

Jennifer sighed at that, turning back around to see that the statue had shifted enough that Jennifer could get Helena out. Gently, she walked the sobbing girl to the nearest door lift and was within the hospital wing in minutes.

Jennifer had just gotten her tucked into a bed with several extra blankets when Andrew ran in, looking out of breath.

"There's been an incident on the Quidditch Pitch. Where's father?" Andrew panted.

"Out of the castle. What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Several gargoyles… they seemed to come out of nowhere… took flight and surrounded Abraxus Coventry and stood there in a circle with threatening faces. Ace decided it meant they wanted him off the property and escorted him back across the tracks. Now the gargoyles are surrounding the pavilion but they seem to be more subdued now. Abraxus is foaming at the mouth, though…"

"Oh, I'm sure we're only seeing the start of it, but it really doesn't matter any more. Please ask Sagittari to come up here, send Coventry to St. Mungo's, and ask Danyelle to stay after the games tonight…"

"Send him to St. Mungo's? In what condition?" Andrew asked with open interest.

"It's Donald that's there," Jennifer said sternly. Andrew glanced at the sleeping girl and back at Jennifer with a frown.

"I suppose I'll escort him myself then, to find out what's going on if for no other reason," Andrew decided.

"It all boils down to one thing in the end, really," Jennifer said, gazing out the window. "Don Coventry is no longer a student here." Andrew stared fixedly at her for a moment and then nodded, hurrying out the door to see to his errands.


	30. Riding it Out

Chapter Thirty

Riding it Out

When Mike first arrived on the field the next day, he didn't notice anything different. He went out early to see several students doing warm-ups, and went to the Three Brooms tent to grab a coffee, sipping it as he slowly made his way to the jousting area. He picked his lance then checked to see who his opponent was, taking a seat on an empty bench. Finally, Winnie ran up, a bit out of breath with Diana tailing her as usual. The only strange thing was that Winnie seemed as serious as Diana.

"I'm here! You didn't go to breakfast? It was so strange today! What do think it's all about?" Winnie asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What was strange?" Mike asked.

"There wasn't a single Slytherin at breakfast anywhere! I can't even find Ronnie, let alone Maurice," Winnie explained.

"Maurice may well have stayed at the Pavilions, you know how he's been. He may want to know why my father got kicked out of the school this time," Mike said.

"I wonder if he snuck another House Elf onto the grounds again," Winnie suggested, but Mike shrugged at her.

"I haven't heard, and I really don't care. It'd suit me just fine if he got banned from the school permanently," Mike admitted. "Every time I do something better than Don, he jumps the Headmaster about it."

"Well, the games are almost over now. After this weekend nothing will be left but team competitions," Winnie pointed out. "You're not going to have to deal with him much longer in any case. And I doubt he's going to want to come to your Auror training, is he?" Mike grinned at her. "What, hello, look sharp, there's a Slytherin at last. It's Kent," Winnie said, looking over at the jousting rack.

"No surprise there, he's our opponent. We're going second this morning," Mike explained.

"Well, I guess that means we'll get it over with. Works for me, we have a football game this afternoon, and I want to prep," Winnie said. Mike nodded in agreement.

"Mornin' mates," Hope said, walking up with Natalie trailing behind, still trying to get her coat buttoned up. "I see you're out early, hope you left me my favorite lance. What, hello! There's a Slytherin out here!"

"I see two or three now, all dressed to compete," Natalie said as she stepped over to them. "Has anyone seen Ronnie, Keir, or Uncle Maurice?"

"No… but now that you mention it, none of them are competing today either," Winnie said.

"Does it really matter what they're on about? You girls are too nosy," Mike scolded them.

"Well, something major is going on, and for once we're at a disadvantage in knowing what, because Uncle Maurice is the one who typically tells us," Hope said.

"I doubt he'd say anything if it's Slytherin business," Natalie disagreed.

"Well, maybe we should ask Jack Kent," Hope suggested.

"He's usually not friendly even at the best of times," Winnie warned, knowing full well that Hope wouldn't listen, and followed her and Natalie over to the table.

"Hullo, Kent! You're not up against me, so I'll say good luck today," Hope said amiably. "Did you eat breakfast?" Kent set his jaw and walked away with his lance without even looking at her. "Well, that was rather rude."

"Leave him alone, Willowby," warned Balt Ewen as he walked up. "Mind your own business for a change."

"What's going on, Ewen? All of you Slytherin are acting so weird today," Hope challenged him back.

"Just keep your tongue, or I'll write you up for harassment," he threatened before joining Kent. Hope waited until his back was turned and stuck her tongue out of him.

"I hate prefects that throw their weight around," Hope said.

"Well, it's obvious now we're not going to learn anything, they're all on their guard," Winnie said. "Let's just wait for Ronnie or Maurice to show back up again. I'm sure they'll tell us what's going on."

"We'd better get back to the assigned prep area, Bellamy's already blown the whistle," Natalie nudged.

"Half a moment. Where's Madame Brittle? Isn't she one of the judges?" Hope asked. But as they walked over, the three of them noticed that Doctor Sagittarius had taken her place at the judges' table, watching with crossed arms and an expression as if he dared any one of them to get hurt while he was there. "Looks like even she is missing in action."

"I need to get back over to Mike. We're going second today, you know," Winnie said, and then hurried over to where Mike stood, searching for her in the crowd. He sighed as he saw her, handing out his lance.

"About time, the first joust is about to start, and I need to adjust my broom straps still," Mike said.

"Sorry, we were investigating. Unfortunately, we didn't find out much, because Kent and Ewen aren't talking," Winnie explained.

"I told you they wouldn't. That's not how Slytherin works," Mike said impatiently, making sure his harness was centered. "We have other things to concern ourselves with now. If I win this match, I'll have enough points to secure second place even if Hope wins the jousting tournament. If I lose, I'll have to wait on the sidelines and hoping that she doesn't get that far."

"That would be nerve wracking," Winnie agreed. "Do you need help?" A cheer went up in the crowd, and they looked up to see the first joust was in progress.

"No, I've got it now," Mike said when the crowd died down between passes. "A bit awkward, isn't it?"

"I say take Hope's advice and try to lean in right when you pass the line," Winnie suggested.

"Assuming I can hold it straight that long," Mike said, watching for the sign to before floating over to the rail.

"Good luck," Winnie said, making sure he had firm grip of the lance before stepping out of the way.

Soon Ewen did the same and Bellamy signaled, Mike quickly pushing his broom to speed. He was so busy concentrating on the line on the rail that at first he didn't notice that Kent's lance was already coming over to his side. Gasping in surprise, Mike ducked it as if it were a Bludger, completely forgetting for a second that he had a lance in hand let alone had the ability to block with it. A whistle sounded as he hit the ground hard, groaning at the possibility that he had lost from stupidity.

"Penalty to Jack Kent, false start. One more and he's out on technicality," Commander Bellamy announced to everyone. Mike exhaled and picked himself up as Winnie ran over to grab his lance.

"Are you all right? I wasn't sure that you were after that dive," Winnie asked frantically. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like a bleeding idiot," Mike muttered to her. Winnie's shoulders relaxed and she smiled sympathetically.

"Let's give it another go. I'm sure you don't feel half the idiot that Jack feels right now," Winnie pointed out.

"True," Mike replied in realization, and forced himself to relax. He was simply reacting to a mistake; he wasn't the cause of it. Still, he knew that he needed to be less self-conscious and more focused on what was going on.

Fixing the harness, Winnie handed him the lance again.

"I'm ready this time," Mike decided. Winnie gave him a nod, stepping back when he had a handle on the lance.

Bellamy was watching Kent who was still trying to get settled in his harness. Finally deciding they were ready, the commander lowered the flag. Mike tried to focus in on the line, glancing up warily at Kent until they were close, and began leaning in a second after crossing it. His lance swung freely over for Kent's lance had begun late; the hand on Mike's lance easily swept the side of Kent's lance aside before planting itself against Kent's chest, giving him a firm shove backwards off his broom. Pulling up quickly, Mike handed his lance off to Winnie as quickly as he could so that he could go help Kent up.

"Tough luck, Jack," Mike said sincerely after helping him to his feet.

"Thanks, although it's worse off for you that I didn't win, really," Jack replied evenly, stepping out of the harness. "Your victory's tainted now, you know that? I don't envy you," he said. Hearing Ewen's warning calls, Jack picked up his broom and went to join him. Frowning, Mike stepped back over to Winnie, who was leaning on the rail.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Mike asked.

"He's a Slytherin. He was probably trying to throw you off," Winnie said.

"No, I think he really meant it," Mike said, ducking under the rail and grabbing his things. That was when he noticed Professor Scribe, walking back to her seat on the front row as if she had been standing on the field for some reason. He wasn't sure why it was strange to him, and yet it was, for some reason.

It wasn't until he lost to Hope the next round that he realized she was there because of him. Because the moment he landed in the sand, she was over him, even before Winnie had had time to run over for his lance.

"Good try, Mike! Well done, giving it your all!" Professor Scribe said, helping him up.

"I don't think anyone's likely to beat Hope at this game," Mike added, offering his hand to Hope, who was beaming at him.

"I like it! Think the Headmaster would add this as a school sport?" Hope asked enthusiastically.

"Not likely in the slightest," Professor Scribe laughed. "Come, Mike! You must be hungry. How about an early lunch?"

"All right, I guess. Can you turn these in for me, Winnie?" Mike asked apologetically, handing out the harness.

"Give me your broom as well, I'll see it gets back to your room," Winnie offered.

"Thanks, Winnie," Mike said, and then followed Professor Scribe off the field.

"So, what's all this about?" Mike asked.

"Lunch. I noticed you didn't come to breakfast," Scribe said distractedly as they walked towards the castle.

"I never do on days I've had a competition, though you've never asked me to lunch before, for any reason," Mike pointed out.

"Now's as good of a time as any!" Professor Scribe said cheerfully.

"Does this have anything with those gargoyles sweeping my father out of the school last night?" Mike asked.

"Ah, that. Um… sort of. Actually, I'd rather best just wait until we're in my office, if you don't mind," Scribe said.

Mike sighed in resignation, then found himself wondering about his last history essay. Then he suddenly realized he was still in his athletic uniform and was rather uncomfortable with it, but was fairly sure that she wouldn't agree to his suggestion of changing first, and they weren't really going in the right direction for him to do it on the way.

"Ah, here we are, right in. Careful now, a bit of history projects here and there…" she said. Mike, who was expecting a bit of a mess like Boulderdash's office, peered in to find that although the walls were indeed cluttered with scrolls, books, and artifacts both in tact and in pieces, everything was kept as neat as possible in the center of the room. The floors and rugs were pristine in appearance, and there wasn't a speck of dust. The desk had only elaborate ink well, which Sally Scribe put away in favor of a picnic cloth and a silver tea service and platter full of toast with a variety of toppings from fois gras to quail eggs and caviar.

"This is lunch?" Mike said.

"See what you miss not being one of my majors?" Professor Scribe teased. "Yes, I know it's not normal fare for magic-born gentry, but my mother was a countess before she 'disappeared' off the face of the planet, as far as their concerned. I write up the expense as cultural education, and so far Professor Weasley hasn't complained."

"I didn't even know you had money," Mike admitted.

"Oh, goodness, I don't. I haven't for a long time. I've been disinherited for nearly thirty years now, I suppose. It was rough at the time… not because of losing the money, mind… it was the losing of my family in the process that was hard," Sally said. Mike stared at her in surprise.

"I didn't know any of that. I knew all about Madame Brittle's, but I didn't know it happened to you as well…"

"Let's just say my circumstances as to the whys and wherefores were quite different than hers," Sally said dryly. "It's also not something I like to talk about, and the Headmaster has always respected my decision to keep it quiet… it's less complicated not only for myself but for the school if it's kept that way. But I wanted to explain it to you, because I want you to know that in my own way I understand what you're going through, you see. I know what it's like to be severed from family members… in some ways it's a wound, and in other ways, it's a relief."

"True, although I really have to get out of school before the relief actually begins," Mike admitted. Sally grew somber.

"I'm afraid there's no such thing as a total relief from family strife, Mike," Sally said quietly. "And I'm sorry we couldn't come to you sooner about this, but really, this was the best time. You see, yesterday evening, your brother took it upon himself to potion another student here, and because of the circumstances, he's been removed from the school."

"Potioned? Helena! What happened to Helena?" Mike demanded, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, don't worry, she's perfectly all right! As I understand it, the castle security kicked in before anything could happen to her," Sally reassured him. "Although I wonder how you knew this affected Helena."

"He's been hounding her all year. Practically everyone knows about it; she kept saying no and he kept insisting it wasn't sincere. She stopped complaining to us about it after we offered to get involved. She insisted that it was a Slytherin matter," Mike growled angrily.

"Well, it's really too late for why-fors and would-have could-have-dones I suppose," Sally reasoned. "Mr. Weasley has every intent of prosecuting, although being his first offense, his age, and that nothing came of it, he's not likely to get more than a year or so and banned from getting any sort of professional alchemy licensing. The Headmaster believes that Mr. Coventry is likely to fight for a house arrest followed by probation, and it's quite possible a judge might agree with that in attempt to stave off a pattern of being in and out of incarceration."

"That won't make any difference. If anything, it'll only make him think he got away with it," Mike said with annoyance. "What about my sister? She has to live in my father's house."

"I would guess if that if they did go with house arrest, the judge might suggest she stay with your mother for the duration," Sally said. "A lot of detail is still up in the air… along with the complication that… well… the gargoyles of this castle have made it perfectly clear that they have no intention of letting your father past the gates again. The Headmaster has decided to back them up, and has informed your father that he can ban anyone from the castle that he likes, and if the castle doesn't want him there, neither does he."

"It won't really stop him sending me a flame every time he wants to bellow at me, will it?" Mike snorted. Sally blinked.

"Has he been doing that, then? Well, I have something to say about that! Hufflepuff is my house, after all, and your mother is your primary guardian. I don't see any reason you have to put up with that sort of thing against your will. I'll deal with that issue myself," Sally said firmly. "I want you to start concentrating on your studies. Don't worry about the commotion that will undoubtedly come when the public finds out. And don't worry about the Olympics any more… you can even sit out your last football game if you like, just to get it all behind you. The upcoming NEWT matters more."

"Wait… my brother got kicked out of Hogwarts before graduating. Does that mean he won't be able to do magic?" Mike asked.

"I imagine your father will simply pay for a tutor and have him tested for magic competence at the Ministry," Sally said. "But concern yourself with your own welfare right now, that's the best advice I have for you. Let the decisions of others fall where they will, and take care that your own don't fall astray."

"Yes, Professor Scribe," Mike said solemnly, accepting another piece of toast and caviar off the tray.

* * *

><p>Jennifer walked into the Headmaster's Study, glancing up at the observatory deck before carrying Quintin into the nursery and putting him in his play area. She then went out and made her way up the stairs to where Severus was standing, looking out the windows.<p>

"You'll be happy to know that Hermione just got done with her follow-up chat with Abraxus Coventry… although she did end up giving him a full refund before he agreed to leave the Pavilions," Jennifer informed Severus.

"Were you able to discern his intentions concerning Elizabeth?" Severus asked, descending to the main floor.

"I believe he's planning to keep her in for the remainder of this year. He's also wondering how to get you ousted by next year," Jennifer added with a wry smile. "Even so, I really think he wants to keep her in Hogwarts regardless. He wants to see at least one of his children graduate from Slytherin, and I think his desire to do that will probably win out over his hatred of you."

"He can hate me as much as he likes. I would very much like to see Elizabeth graduate from Slytherin as well," Severus said, pulling out his chair. "I don't suppose you happened to 'accidentally' run into Danyelle as well on your way in?" Jennifer's expression fell.

"She's in her office. I don't think she wants to talk to anyone right now, really," Jennifer admitted.

"No, she wouldn't," Severus said, his expression distant as he sat down. "She's blaming herself for what happened and the fact that she wasn't able to get through to him. She is convinced that she is an utter and complete failure." Jennifer gazed at him sympathetically. "I remember the feeling all too well."

"I'm sure it's probably even worse than that, considering it's the first time it's happened to her," Jennifer ventured.

"No, it never gets any easier," Severus murmured. "In some ways, I found it got worse as they accumulated, remembering every one I lost in the process of losing another. Still, Danyelle has always tried to overcome lost battles with greater determination rather than to simply curse them, as I often did. I'll give her a day or two to come to me. If she doesn't, I'll set up a lunch with her this coming week."

"It would be easy to keep her busy, if you think that would help. We are only days away from the closing ceremonies, so I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to help her keep her mind off of it," Jennifer suggested.

"You're free to try, I suppose, although I hope you have enough sense to back away if it's obvious she would rather brood about it alone," Severus said.

"I rather she's more the type to find a pub, actually," Jennifer said. "Although… well, to be perfectly honest, Severus, I rather expected you to be brooding by now."

"Yes," Severus agreed quietly, gazing at the walls of the study distractedly. "I would have thought so as well." He looked back down, unsurprised to find Jennifer studying him from over the rim of her spectacles. "I'll admit to being disappointed, perhaps even frustrated with the situation, but it was not something that was within our power to control. The fact of the matter is that Donald Coventry was no longer a student, nor has he been a student of this school for a long time. A student of this school wouldn't have gone to such lengths to coerce another, nor would they have gone to such lengths to try to keep you and the rest of the staff from finding out about it. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Donald was responsible for the Fishertrap at the start of the games, and more than likely had been the internal component to the dragon incident as well, scenting the player's uniforms."

"What? But I thought that had something to do with Equinox?" Jennifer said.

"Yes, I believe it did, although we may not have known it had the gargoyles not descended on one of them after the dragon incident. Donald happens to be a member of one of Equinox's splinter groups; one that isn't so happy about Bagman's handling of things last year. It is probably one that started within the Collector's Society, considering I don't know how else Donald would have found his way in, but it is one not so tied to rules or restrictions as the Society itself. Either way, we knew then that someone inside the school had been involved in both of these incidents, and although it is simply speculation, it does fit in with Donald's pattern of behavior this year. He didn't care if anyone got hurt or not, he simply wanted to manipulate the situation so that his father had plenty of things to complain about and to try to make us look like we were endangering students with our 'selfish' attempts of recouping funds. Of course, those actions did nothing but make us suspicious of his father, who knew nothing about it. Abraxus Coventry is still one of Bagmen's supporters; he had nothing to do with it."

"How can you be so sure that this splinter group isn't one of Bagman's?" Jennifer asked.

"Because any splinter group under Bagman's lead would have made damned sure that Garvan was not on the field when that dragon attacked," Severus said, sounding a little exasperated with his wife.

"I'd forgotten about that," Jennifer admitted sheepishly, but then grew thoughtful. "I suppose this means everything will calm down, now, won't it? I mean, since Donald and Abraxus are gone, everything can get back to normal."

"Perhaps, if the ghosts weren't still worked up, the gargoyles out of my control, and if the statue in front of my study would return when I tried to reset it," Severus pointed out. Jennifer grimaced at that. Severus got up and walked over to the chessboard. "I will deal with that matter soon, Jennifer, but it would be pointless to even try sorting that out until the games are over and everyone is off the property that doesn't belong here. Until then, we are simply going to have to ride out the wave."

* * *

><p>It was the sound of several screaming students running down the corridor that alerted Leu and the Willowbys to jump back inside the Great Hall as a huge wall of water wooshed down the length of it like a tidal wave, splashing in the open doors and soaking everyone trying to escape it.<p>

"Wow! That was intense!" Hope declared.

"Myrtle must really be in rare form. I wonder what Noah did this time?" Natalie conjectured.

"I'll find out before History. He'll have to come out of hiding for that," Leu said.

"But that's not until after lunch! She'll drown half the school by then!" Hope protested.

"Oh, don't be an alarmist, I'm sure the staff is on it. Come on," Charles said, shaking the water out of his shoes before leading them towards the library.

Boulderdash stood at the door, looking as if he were in a dreadful mood, while pointing everyone trying to come into the library to the spongy mat in front of the door. Dutifully, the four of them dried their shoes, walking in to see that the floor itself had been swiftly dried and all rugs and periodicals in danger of damp rolled and stacked away from the door in case there was another water invasion.

The library itself seemed to have more students than usual during the lunch hour, and most of them seemed to be fifth and seventh years.

"It's a sign we're near the end," Natalie said out of the blue, although it spoke to everyone's thoughts as they walked to the Owl Room door. "Nearly everyone is done and is turning their attention to fixing their marks now."

"What all is left?" Charles asked. "One more football game, I know."

"All of the Mount events are tonight, there's the swimming sprint, and I have one more game in Wizard Hurling," Leu said.

"One more Quidditch and one more Chaser Ball," Hope put in. "And I think that's it."

"Let's check the board," Natalie suggested, going inside and over to the Owl's assistance schedule, waving to those already there. "Yes, you're right. The last of the mounted events, speed swimming, four more team games, and we're done; it's all spread out over the next eight days."

"I'm so glad it's almost over!" Kim declared, sitting by Jessica and Paula at the far end of the table. "I'm exhausted! And I still have two more games left!"

"Everyone is glad it's almost over," Ronnie agreed, filling her plate with sandwiches.

"Hey! You're back!" Hope said in surprise.

"Of course, you goof. You didn't expect us gone on a school day, did you?" Ronnie snorted at her. "Everyone's back… well…" she paused thoughtfully. "Yes, everyone's back."

"Is it true what we heard? About Don being kicked out?" Charles asked.

"Who told you that?" Ronnie asked.

"Nobody had to tell us. I woke up to find out I won the silver in the Hexathlon," Hope said. "Mike got gold, and Terry got the bronze. I asked several professors why he was disqualified, and none of them would answer me. That's when we found out there's rumor going around that he isn't even in his school any more."

"I can't really talk about it," Ronnie said, turning her attention to her lunch.

"Then might I ask who will?" Hope asked with her arms folded.

"It's all right, Greisley." Everyone looked up to see Maurice in the doorway. He stepped in followed closely behind by Garvan and Keir. "It isn't as if it can be hidden any longer. The Hexathlon wasn't the only event he competed in, so everyone will be finding out about it soon, including the public. Donald Coventry was removed from Hogwarts and is facing charges from the Ministry for potioning a fellow Slytherin. Not only that, but over the weekend Slytherin voted unanimously to formally denounce him as a traitor to the house, and therefore no longer deserves our protection. You may say whatever you like about it, Ronnie," Maurice explained.

"What an idiot. Now he's not going to graduate!" Hope snorted. "He couldn't wait four more months to be a derelict?"

"How is Beth taking this?" Natalie asked with a frown.

"Actually, her initial reaction was about the same as Hope's just then," Maurice said. "I'm sure Coventry will simply get him certified privately; he's only banned from making potions. Anyway, now that Slytherin has denounced him, we're all ready to move on, although his disqualifications will be noticeable to our medal totals. The focus now is on winning our last team games and trying to take over first place in point totals for the year. Considering that Hufflepuff has a very marginal lead and are not known for keeping it, I don't think we'll have a problem overcoming it."

Just then, the door slammed open, causing a gasp of surprise out of students in the main library.

"Mr. Murphy! Where is your spectral sidekick? I'd like a word," Boulderdash snarled dangerously.

"I always come back here for lunch, Librarian Boulderdash," Leu answered. "Noah usually spends it with Myrtle."

"And obviously isn't!" Boulderdash snapped.

"I would guess that he's prepping his mount for the Dressage finals tonight, Librarian Boulderdash," Maurice offered.

"Then go fetch him!" Boulderdash snarled before storming out again.

"Keir, go with Leu down to the grounds to find Noah," Maurice said, getting himself some tea. Keir got up with a sigh, grabbing several sandwiches off the tray. Leu grabbed one for himself before Keir nudged him out the door.

"I don't see why I always need to be drawn into this," Keir complained as they left, peering down the hall before leading them towards the back stairs. "In fact, I don't see why Noah has to be drawn into this either. He hates it when the staff tries to get him involved when she's in a mood."

"You're right about that," Leu agreed with a nod. "But by going, we can warn him about what's going on, and then he can decide whether to go or not."

"True," Keir said, and then grinned. "That's one of the most reasonable things I've heard you say, Llewellyn. You've always been so by the book!"

"I just don't want to upset him. He's been very testy lately," Leu explained.

"I'd be testy too if my girlfriend was running amuck and I was always getting blamed for it. Maybe he'd be better off if he just ditched her," Keir said.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" called out a loud screeching voice.

"Uh oh," Keir and Leu murmured at the same time. They were expecting her to say something else and covered their ears, but nothing else came… almost as if she had left. Cautiously Leu uncapped his ears, but when he did, he heard something that made him frown.

"Do you hear that? Keir!" Leu said, nudging him so he removed his hands from his ears as well. "What is that?"

"It sounds like a waterfall," Keir answered, then blinked as he looked around. "And we're in a stairwell!"

"Run!" Leu said, bolting down the stairs.

"No, stupid! Not that way!" Keir belted out, reluctantly following behind. "You moron! Get out of the stairwell!"

"Oh, no! Not again!" Professor Craw exclaimed when she poked her head out of the Potion's Lab to see what the fuss was about. "Get inside, both of you, quickly!" Leu and Keir ran in and Craw shut the door just as the wave reached the bottom, only a trickle managing to get inside under the crack. "Lovely, she broke the seal. I do hope the Headmaster has called Doctor Black in to deal with this!"

"Librarian Boulderdash asked us to go get Noah. That's what we were doing when she decided to try and wash us down the stairs," Keir explained.

"Actually, I think it would be wiser simply to get Doctor Black," Jennifer said, glancing over to the door of her office where Helena was peering out curiously. "I should probably go make certain that he has been Owled already. Helena, do you mind if we finish the rest of the categorizing tomorrow, Helena?"

"Yes, Professor Craw," Helena agreed, coming out and closing the door.

"And the two of you may go back to Librarian Boulderdash and let him know I am taking care of the matter," she added.

"I'll show them out, Professor," Helena offered. Jennifer paused but then nodded with a smile before hurrying out the door.

"Well! That got us off the hook, didn't it?" Keir said.

"Hopefully it will get Noah off the hook as well," Leu agreed.

"Well, let's go. Hopefully Myrtle's moved on. Even if she hasn't, she tends to listen to me, so maybe we'll be all right," Helena said.

"I don't think she'll listen to anybody walking with Keir after what he said," Leu said.

"What were you doing in Professor Craw's office, anyway?" Keir interrupted quickly.

"Oh, she asked me to be her student assistant once a week for the rest of the year. She keeps getting behind because she's been studying magical forging techniques and needed some help to keep up. I just started, really, but today was quite fun. She had me helping her mark first year items projects," Helena said smugly.

"Really? Including the Headmaster's?" Keir asked with interest. "How did he do?"

"Well, he definitely didn't get a perfect score," Helena admitted with a grin.

"I bet that's the real reason she wanted you to mark her papers," Keir snorted. "To keep the Headmaster from thinking she's being harder on him than the rest of the class." Helena missed a step, but then nodded.

"I really hadn't thought about it before," Helena admitted.

In fact, she had been so convinced that the offer had simply been to keep her occupied after what had happened to her that she had never considered any other reasons. It was quite obvious to her that the staff… especially Craw and Brittle… had been going out of the their way to keep her occupied. She hated the fuss, really. It wasn't as if she were worried about it happening again… at least, not until she got out of school.

"Are you coming to the library with us, Lena?" Leu asked.

"Um… that's a good question, actually," Helena admitted, getting out her watch. There was plenty of time left, but Madame Brittle's advice about not setting herself up to be asked a lot of nosy questions swiftly came to mind. "Actually, I think I had better go ahead and fetch my books for my next class, if that's the time, but I'll be at the events tonight."

"Great! We'll see you later then," Leu said, waving as they went up the stairs.

"Do you happen to have any spare tickets?" Keir asked Leu as they stepped into the corridor above.

Helena slipped into the secret passages, glad to finally have a moment alone with her thoughts. She really didn't want to move over this, or change her plans of what she was going to do after high school. Should she? She didn't like the idea at all. Not after all she had gone through to get to where she was. She had done everything in her power to break through stereotypes… surrounding both her family and her house. The idea of being stuck in a victim stereotype went against every fibre of her being. It wasn't who she was, and she refused to play the part.

"Oll' ri', girl?" said an older, somewhat raspy male voice. She turned in surprise and found herself staring at the image of a ghostly cat, barely visible sitting in the shadows of the passage. Helena relaxed, forcing a faint smile.

"Yes, I'll be all right now. Thank you, cat," she replied. The cat then stood and turned away, fading as it did so.

As Helena turned towards the Slytherin rooms, she wondered about how she felt in that moment. When she had answered, she had simply been trying to put him at ease, rather than actually meaning what she said. But by the time she had turned, she realized that perhaps she had meant it after all. With a bit more confidence, Helena stepped over to the Grackle, deciding that the best course of action was to face things head on, just as she always had done.


	31. Chasing Shadows

_Last three chapters (including this one) are done, so expect fast updates on the last two. I'll also be going back and reloading the rest of the chapters for typo and editings fixes right before putting up the last chapter (33.) JCWriter_

Chapter Thirty-One

Chasing Shadows

It was just before the Winged Polo finals that Mike and Terry had to finally come to grips with the inevitable; the medal ceremony for Hexathlon. Neither of them wanted to be there. They wanted it over with… and quickly forgotten. Hope, for her part, was quite fed up with their attitudes.

"You're both being quite stupid about this, you know. We deserve to be on that podium," Hope scolded them. "May I remind you that Don was doing everything in his power to sabotage us up until he got kicked out? Remember how he switched wands on you? If you ask me, he should have been disqualified sooner, especially after talking Beth into getting you sick, Mike. We were the ones that played fair and followed the rules, so we're the ones who deserve to be up there."

"I wouldn't have gotten a medal at all if he hadn't gotten expelled, Hope," Terry reminded her.

"So what? It isn't about medals anyway; it's about house pride and school pride. That's something we had that he never had. There's no point feeling guilty about accepting an honor when we did our best, especially when he didn't deserve it by any stretch of the imagination," she snapped fiercely.

Mike clamped his jaw and didn't say anything. Of course she was right. There was no doubt of it. But at that moment, his emotions were undoubtedly getting in the way. He had tossed and turned in his sleep the night before; dreaming of the point differences on the board before his brother's was swept clean as if he had never been there. Don hadn't been just ahead by a little; he had been way ahead. The built-up anger over Don had done clung to Mike in a way that he couldn't shake, but that anger was nothing compared to his true mental wall… he had always been second.

He had been second from the moment he was born. Every event, every birthday, every decision that had ever made for him had chiseled into his mind that second was his place. His brother had always been a little better at everything. Don always had the last word. He always won at everything. The breach in his parents' marriage and Mike's decision to stay with his mother had not changed this equation. In fact, in some ways it solidified it in his father's eyes, and despite Mike's attempts to ignore that fact, somehow it had still managed to deepen the wound. Now Mike was first because of the absence of his brother, and for no other reason. Yes, what Hope was saying was true, but his feelings went deeper than facts. Second was something he had been molded to be.

"Michael, listen to me! He didn't deserve it," Hope said firmly, looking at him with a fierce fire that breached no argument.

"I know," Mike answered despite not really feeling it and not knowing how to correct that. "We were the ones that played by the rules and did our best."

"I didn't. I was more worried about my marks," Terry pointed out.

"Which is just as much house and school pride as anything else. Did Don show any pride in his house and school?" Hope argued.

"No, not really. Not ever that I can recall," Terry admitted, glancing almost apologetically to Mike.

"Thanks, Hope. I think we're more prepared now," Mike said, Terry nodding slowly in agreement.

"I do still feel guilty, honestly. But I see where you're coming from, Hope," Terry answered. "So I'll make a good show of it."

"Agreed," Mike said, glad that he wasn't the only one going through it.

"Good. Then my only worry is trying to get through that stupid Loyal Badger song without sniggering," Hope said. Mike and Terry grinned at each other knowingly. It was by far the silliest of the house tunes, and all of the Hufflepuffs had groaned when they first found out it was the one they were going to play when they won gold medals.

"I'll look forward to seeing you try," Mike said with a smirk, then led them over to where Danyelle Brittle was waiting.

Danyelle studied their faces curiously, wondering what had passed between them while they were conversing. Mike and Terry both had expressions as if readying themselves for a fight, while Hope was her normal smug self. Danyelle smiled as they waited for the announcement of the ceremony.

"Congratulations to all three of you," Madame Brittle said, gesturing for Helena (her assistant for the day) to bring the velvet tray with the medals over. Mike gazed at her questioningly, but she simply smiled thinly at him. "I hope none of you doubt your right to be here."

"Some of us are doubting it, but we'll work it out," Mike said. Terry nodded silently at that.

"Good," Danyelle said, then listened for the announcement and a round of claps. She waited for Terry's name and put the bronze Hogwarts crest medal around his head, and after a handshake presented the silver to Hope, who had enough enthusiasm for all three of them. Last was Mike with the gold, and as she put the medal around his head, Danyelle leaned over. "Come visit me in my office sometime," she said.

Nodding to let her know that he had heard her over the applause, Mike let himself exhale, more than a little glad that they were too far away from the stands for their expressions to be clearly seen.

It was Hope who decided to sing along with the Loyal Badger song, causing Terry to hold grab his nose for a moment to keep himself from losing it. Mike didn't respond until they were stepping down, and then gave Hope a firm pinch on the arm. Dramatically she rubbed it and scowled as if it hurt more than it had, but then Helena prompted her to follow and led her and the other two off the field.

"Anyone else going to the Polo finals?" Terry asked.

"I will be, after Madame Brittle is done with me," Helena answered. "I hope my house has a chance to recoup some of our losses."

"I'm heading to Dressage," Hope put in. "But good luck to both your teams."

"I'm going to Dressage as well," Mike said.

"I suppose I'll see you back at the Owl rooms then," Helena said with a wave.

"See you later," Terry said before heading towards the Quidditch Pitch.

Mike and Hope stared after Helena a moment before glancing at each other.

"She seemed all right, didn't she?" Hope said thoughtfully.

"Better than I thought after… well, she had been avoiding me," Mike admitted.

"No, not you. She was avoiding everyone," Hope assured him. "But if she's prepared to head back to the Owl rooms, I would guess that's over now. She knows everyone in there is likely to ask a lot of nosy questions. Still, at least it would be a friendly interrogation."

"True, but let's make sure they don't go too far," Mike said as they turned to walk towards the pens.

"Like Maurice would let them!" Hope snorted. She suddenly stopped short. "Look at that!"

Hope pointed to an extra set of stands on the opposite side of the roped off area designed for the land mount events. At first, Mike thought it was empty except for one person sitting on the bottom row. But as they moved in, Mike saw wispy movement, and by the time they made it to the pair of stands originally set up for the events, Mike realized that it was completely filled with castle ghosts.

"Wow, look at them!" Hope repeated in awe.

"Who is the wizard sitting with them, Hope? Can you see in this light?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, it's Zack Black, and I think that's Myrtle clinging to his arm," Hope said.

"Well, at least that must mean she has him calmed down," Mike decided as they went to find their seats.

"Maybe, but I hope Noah does well. I'd hate to think of what she would do if he does poorly," Hope said, sliding down to where Leu was sitting. "We're here!" she announced. "And we're sporting new hardware!"

"New hardware?" Llewellyn repeated in confusion. Mike just shrugged and sat down. "You've missed three contestants, but there's five more left."

"Has Noah gone yet?" Mike asked.

"No, if I'm reading the board right, he's going sixth," Leu said, nodding to the large chalkboard at the end of the coarse.

"Where are the judges?" Hope asked.

"Over there… just look for Doctor Sagittari," Leu suggested, and the other two found him beside the ropes, along with Professor Craw and another elderly wizard, both sitting on bar stools to get a good view past the ropes.

"Who's the guest judge?" Mike asked.

"I think his name was Trieste, or something like that. Professor Craw said he worked for the Stoddard Institute. Something about preserving certain breeds of pegusi," Leu explained.

"Yes, that's what they do over there. Pegusi would have probably died out long ago if it hadn't been for their intervention, really," Mike said, glancing around. "Have there been any vendors through here?"

"I think they're all over at Polo," Leu said.

"I'll go grab us something, Mike, it'll give me a chance to peek at how Polo is going before it's Noah's turn," Hope said.

"Eel Chips for me," Mike said, handing her some sickles.

"Right you are," Hope said, ignoring the dirty looks from others watching when she excused her way out again.

"So how does all this work? The points I mean," Mike asked quietly as James Martin started his run with a roan horse.

"Basically it's a serious of gaits in specific patterns that have to be done with high level precision. Everything counts, including posture of the mount, rider, and bit position, although some individual points seem to be a little different depending on what creature they're riding. Obviously, you can't expect the griffon to trot, for example, and the winged ones have to keep their wings folded except if you have a hovering maneuver in your routine. Some people left it out because it was optional. It's more points, but it can also cost you a lot of points if you do it wrong," Leu explained softly.

"Does Noah have one in his routine?" Mike asked.

"Yes, he's spent most of his time on it," Leu said. A polite round of applause went up in the crowd as James followed his routine, but his expression after dismounting betrayed that he wasn't quite happy with it. He grimaced further when he saw he was in the middle of the pack, and it would be a struggle at best to keep third place. "Sally's taking out one of the hippogriffs next," he whispered to Mike.

At first, Mike was fascinated with the hippogriff's stance, and how tightly it had to have its wings tucked under when it did the ground portion of its routine. As it danced thru its figure eight and then into the center of the ropes, it stretched its wings and went into a slow, steady hover while its hooves did a complicated pattern of movements underneath it.

Just then, there was a shift down the bench and Mike looked up to see Hope working her way back over to them with several small sacks in her arms.

"About time you got back. It's almost time for Noah to compete," Mike hissed at her, taking one of the offered sacks.

"Well, it isn't like there's going to be anything to see, is there?" Hope snorted, sitting down.

Mike blinked at that, immediately realizing what she meant. Even if he did know all of the rules to the event, he still wouldn't know if Noah was doing well or not, because he wasn't going to be able to see the Thestral! Feeling a bit daft for not realizing it before, Mike settled in with his eel chips. An appreciative applause of approval went up from the crowd, and Mike wondered how many were responding to how well Sally did and how many simply were reacting to the numbers on the board. But the was no mistaking the confusion of the majority of the spectators when Noah came out in riding stance but with nothing obvious underneath him.

"Awfully well groomed for a Thestral," Leu commented, some of the witches and wizards nearby gazing thoughtfully at him.

"He has to make up for the fact he can't wear riding gear and his bloated face," Hope said.

"None of the judges are likely to count him off for that," Mike protested, then lowered his voice when the other spectators began hushing each other.

Well, at least Mike knew enough about riding that some things he could pick out… such as canters, walks, and trots, and the hippogriff's routine gave him some clue as to what Noah might be doing during the hover routines. Only the ones that Noah did in place were a bit of a mystery, so instead he watched the three judges: the one from the institute was fervently writing, the good doctor was making notes between momentary pauses, while Professor Craw was only making a notation every now and then. Finally, Leu and a handful of others clapped, cluing everyone else into doing the same as the judges began to confer.

"So how was it?" Hope asked, looking much more interested in her food choices than what was going on.

"Right good, if you ask me. He did better than the last practice I saw a week ago, but he's been out here every day since then, pretty much all the time except for class," Leu explained.

"Which is also why Myrtle's been in such rare form," Hope said.

"No, that's not it… I mean…" Leu paused, trying to understand himself. "It's like he's afraid to get too close to her, really."

"Everyone in the castle is afraid to get too close to her, the way she's been lately," Hope retorted. A large round of applause began again, so Hope and Mike looked at the board to see that Noah's score to see that the points were enough to put him in first place.

"Shame so few could see it," Leu said as he clapped.

Hope glowered at him, then glanced over to the stands the ghosts were at to see how they were reacting. All of them were clapping enthusiastically, but Myrtle and Zack were not there any longer. As she glanced around to see where they went, she noticed a very large shadow clinging to the side of the stands.

"What is that thing?" Hope asked out loud. "Do you see it? By the ghosts." The other two looked over, and Leu gasped.

"I think that's the Man Gargoyle! The one I saw by the tree who was watching Quintin!" Leu said.

"Really? Let's go!" Hope said.

"Go? Why are we going?" Mike asked. "What are you planning to do, Hope?"

"I plan to investigate!" Hope declared.

"Yes, let's," Leu agreed.

"Come on, Mike. What sort of Auror are you going to be if you're not willing to investigate an obvious mystery?" Hope said. Mike reluctantly followed her.

"Didn't the Headmaster ask you to leave this matter to him, Llewellyn?" Mike pointed out after they had gotten halfway across.

"Well, maybe. So did Professor Ravenclaw, actually, but I'm sure they'd want to know about it coming down here," Leu reasoned. "Maybe we should tell him."

"What? He'd simply tell us to go back to our seats… look, it's taking off!" Hope alerted them. "Anyone have a Cats-eye potion?"

"It's heading towards the castle," Leu said. "Towards the lake side."

"Brooms out," Hope ordered, taking her miniaturized broom out of her pocket and casting the spell to return it to normal size. Mike did the same, while Leu simply looked between them. "Don't tell me you didn't bring yours. Hasn't Commander Bellamy taught you that spell yet?"

"Well, yes… but I really didn't think another 'emergency exit' while I'm at school," Leu said.

"Always be prepared, is what he said," Hope pointed out. "Come on, we'll ride double."

"We'd better be fast if we want to keep up with it," Mike warned, and decided he'd better take the lead, curving around the castle and scanning the sky, towers and turrets looking for movement. Sighing, he glanced over at the lake, but it was too dark to see anything but the reflections off the castle lights. Just then, there a bright light appeared where there wasn't before. Mike dove down near the surface of the lake and followed the light to a large open window. Peering inside, he saw at once it was the Potion's Lab.

"What are we doing over here?" Hope asked when they caught up.

"I thought I saw something pass through this window," Mike explained.

"This is close to where the lake gargoyle was found," Leu said, noting the rubble in the water. Mike paused thoughtfully, looking down at the rocks as well.

"You sure it wasn't the lake gargoyle that we saw?" Mike asked.

"The lake gargoyle is too big to fit in this window," Leu decided.

"Well, we're not," Hope said, putting her feet on the sill before carefully working their way inside.

"This isn't a good idea. I'm fairly certain Professor Craw has some fairly decent security," Mike said.

"But the door is open… it's early enough she could have left it open for student labs," Leu suggested.

"Without supervision?" Mike answered skeptically.

"Well, either way, it's obvious there's no gargoyle in here," Hope said impatiently. "Come on, let's check down the hall."

"Maybe you simply saw someone else near the window," Leu said thoughtfully.

"If so, why isn't anyone in here?" Mike asked.

"Why isn't the gargoyle?" Hope added, looking down the dark hallway.

They missed the fact that Librarian Boulderdash has opened the door of Professor Craw's office and had peered out, wondering what all of the noise was. Squinting, he closed the door and went back to work at the forge.

"Maybe it went to the Memoriatorium or the tunnel. There's always a gargoyle there these days," Hope proposed.

"Either that, or we lost track of him completely," Leu sighed.

"More than likely, we have," Mike admitted. "Still, even if we have, I would like to know which gargoyles are on guard down here, just to make sure everything's secure."

"That's more like it," Hope said, calling up a light on her wand before continuing.

"Let's not run into that cat," Leu suggested nervously, remembering his encounter in the Memoriatorium before.

"We're not going that far in," Hope assured him, then frowned as they got to the vault. Nothing was in front of it, so Hope tested the handle. "Locked tight," she said, glancing at the other two. Leu looked quite relieved, while Mike's expression was unreadable. Backtracking slightly, they entered the secret passage near the Potion Lab, but only a few steps in, they heard voices.

"Sounds like Uncle Sirius," Leu whispered.

"Not only that, I think I hear my father," Hope said, tugging on their sleeves. "Nothing there!"

"It's a dead end. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions when I saw a shadow over that window like that," Mike said.

"'You should always trust your instincts when life and limb aren't on the line,'" Hope quoted, trying to mimic Bellamy's voice.

"Do you suppose you could help me study for my Defense final when this is over?" Leu suggested. Hope smirked at him.

"Well, we still have one more door to check… the passage to the cistern," she said. "When we were having to check gargoyles after the reset, there was always a gargoyle there."

"All right, but then we had probably head back upstairs," Mike advised.

"I agree, Noah will likely be annoyed if he thinks we didn't stay for his ride," Leu added, but followed curiously behind Hope as she turned on her heal and went to the door.

Not only was there no gargoyle, but also the door was also wide open.

"Well, that's odd, isn't it?" Hope said.

"Perhaps Mr. Carnegie is down there," Mike suggested.

"Yes, but here's the gargoyle?" Leu asked.

"There isn't actually supposed to be one there, you know," Mike pointed out.

"Well, true, but there has been one since this whole year started. Come on, let's go," Hope said.

"We're not actually going in, are we? Students aren't allowed down there," Leu said.

"For once we're in agreement," Mike said.

Hope went down the stairs, and after staring down into the darkness, Leu followed behind.

"This is a bad idea," Mike grumbled to himself before getting out his wand and stepping down behind them.

It was a rather long stairwell, with a slanted cavern leading further down and several very large pipes visible in the ceiling and against one of the walls linked to the overflow.

"I've really never been down here. What if the cistern is full?" Mike asked.

"It doesn't flood, if that's what you're worried about," Hope said, following the natural cut of the rock. "Well, it did once, I suppose, but since Ciardoth died before most of us were born, I don't think it'll be an issue. The water table is lower than the cavern, obviously. How else do you think Mr. Carnegie would be able to maintain it? It's a rather grand place, though," Hope added as an afterthought.

Mike wondered what she meant by that, but he didn't have to wonder long. The passage opened up into a much larger cavern. On the side they were standing, the floors were smooth stone, which met large stone blocks that ran halfway up the wall. After that, the rest of the wall and the curving ceiling was rough-hewn until it met its first set of pillared archways. The archways marked the beginning of the cistern, meeting other archways in a very Romanesque fashion from one side of the cavern to the other and then spread out into the darkness. Torches lined the walls near them, lending to deep, dancing shadows along the partially filled reservoir. Mike frowned as he studied the pillars closest to them. He didn't like what he saw at all.

"A bit low. It'll be full when the snow melt runs off into the lake," Hope commented, peering over the edge.

"Hope… what about the statues?" Mike asked. Hope and Leu looked over at the pillars and at the statues carved into them. Each one carved to resemble a very classic woman carrying a water pitcher.

"You don't suppose those are gargoyles, do you?" Leu whispered.

"I'm not sure. Maybe, but I doubt they count," Hope decided. "I actually know something about these. I overheard my grandfather talking to my father about it once. Apparently there had been an attempt at poisoning the water supply here when my father was going to school, and again when Ciardoth got a hold of the cauldron. So after they had to reconstruct parts of the cistern after the flooding, my grandfather added extra security features to the cistern, lake overflows, and spring wells so that they would detect and clean up any contamination attempts. I bet those statues are apart of it somehow." Mike stared at her.

"Just what do you do, Hope? Hide around corners every time your father has a conversation with anybody?" Mike asked bluntly.

"No, too many snoop chains in my family," Hope said with a smirk. "It's because of my father's dinner rule. See, any time anyone shows up at my house at dinner time, they're required by house rules to sit with us at dinner. A lot of the times they are visiting because they want my Dad's help with something, so we get to sit in during all sorts of interesting conversations. But that means we miss everything they talk about after dinner, so if we want to know the rest of the story, we typically have to ask Maurice. He's the real information guru of the family," she explained. Mike nodded at that.

"So what you're saying then is since it's new we have nothing to worry about," Leu said slowly. "Even though all the statues are looking at us and there's movement in the water."

"What?" Hope said blankly, and then stared out into the cistern.

"We need to get out of here," Mike said firmly. "Now."

"You're right," Hope said, grabbing Leu's arm to pull her with her as she turned around. But they immediately stopped short, for the snake gargoyle was blocking their path, hissing menacingly and poised as if to strike.

"Don't just stand there, Leu, ask it to let us pass!" Mike said.

"What? He doesn't listen to me! He only tolerates me when Mum's around," Leu protested.

"Same with me," Hope admitted, and then quickly whipped out her wand as dozens of winged gargoyles began emerging from the water. "I think we might be in trouble."

"We were in trouble the moment we followed you down here," Mike snapped.

"Intruders!" the gargoyle in the center declared menacingly.

"That's the lake gargoyle, I'm fairly sure of it," Leu informed them quietly.

"We're not intruders here!" Hope belted out proudly. "We're students of Hogwarts! You're the one's who are the intruders, because I'm fairly sure you're not all supposed to be down here!"

"No studentssss allowed," hissed the Snake gargoyle threateningly.

"Really?" Hope replied, suddenly changing her tone. "Oh, sorry then. In that case, we'll just be going back upstairs where we belong," she said diplomatically, cautiously trying to make her way around the snake statue. It hissed menacingly at her, making a striking movement that forced Hope to jump back. "Anyone know a good spell for dealing with gargoyles? Mike, you're the defense major. Surely you know one."

"I know a few, but I also know better than to cast on these gargoyles. They have all sorts of protections on them against magic, including a lot of ancient ones, and more than likely all the other types of magic as well. Trying to cast on one would probably result in a backfire," Mike explained.

"They're here to protect students as well as the castle," Leu said. "I don't think they'd actually hurt us." The snake gargoyle hissed menacingly at them again.

"Well, I agree if they were going to do it, they probably would have already. Still, we are a bit stuck, though, aren't we?" Hope said, looking around. "Help me to find a solution."

"Is there a solution other than waiting?" Mike asked out loud, scanning the area.

"I wonder if the cistern is listed on any of the family watches," Leu wondered.

"Well, I certainly don't want grandfather to find us down here," Hope decided. "We could use our brooms and try one of the overflow pipes if we can get past that army over there."

"The problem with that is that most of them have wings," Mike said. "I don't think they'd just let us go."

"If we just wait, we're bound to get into trouble," Hope protested.

"No way out of that now," said a familiar voice. "Excuse me, Sashassin."

The three of them looked over as the snake gargoyle amiably moved out of the doorway and Maurice Craw stepped in, shaking his head at them.

"What are you three doing in the cistern?" he questioned disapprovingly.

"What are we doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Hope demanded.

"I'm on hall patrol for the prefects. They arranged it with Brittle so that they could attend the Polo finals," Maurice explained calmly. "As for why I'm in the cistern specifically, one of the paintings informed me that someone was down here that shouldn't be. Come along, I'll escort you to the Headmaster's Study."

"What? Why there?" Hope said worriedly.

"Because he's the faculty currently on security duty, obviously. My sister had to play judge tonight," Maurice said.

"But what about all the gargoyles?" Leu asked.

"Yes! What are they all doing down here?" Hope asked.

"Obviously they're down here because someone tried to gain access to the cistern," Maurice said.

"Well, it's not our fault! The cistern wasn't guarded when we came down here," Hope said. "So we came to make sure nobody else was down here that shouldn't be… or any _thing _else," she added ominously.

"I see," Maurice said expressionlessly. "Shall we go?"

"You could give us a break, you know," Hope said irritably as they followed him out.

"Sorry, I'm quite sure the paintings have informed my brother-in-law that I was investigating by now," Maurice said, escorting them to the nearest Doorlift.

The Headmaster was indeed waiting for them when they arrived, tapping his fingers against his desk in annoyance. Quintin seemed oblivious to his father's surliness, playing with a stack of blocks near the fireplace. He then stopped and frowned in apparent disbelief that Llewellyn was one of the three whom Maurice brought in, but was quite unsurprised to see Hope there.

"Dare I even ask what prompted the three of you to go on a rule-breaking expedition this time?" Severus asked, glancing between them but focusing in on Hope. He knew perfectly well who the instigator was.

"Mike spotted the Man Gargoyle while we were watching the Dressage competition. It was hanging out by the ghosts," Hope explained.

"And why wasn't this reported to a Professor?" Severus asked tiredly.

"I planned to do that, of course, after we saw where it went… but we never exactly found it," Hope admitted, Severus giving her a blank stare in response. "We thought we saw it go around the side of the castle near the dungeons, so we went to investigate. That's when we discovered that the cistern door was open and unguarded. Naturally we thought that maybe it went in there… and even if it hadn't, somebody else might have been snooping around there that shouldn't be."

"Like three wandering students?" Maurice suggested.

"Thank you, Mr. Craw," Severus warned. "I'll make my own observations."

"But we did find something that didn't belong! A whole bunch of gargoyles, including the gargoyle Leu found in the lake last fall," Hope said.

"Miss Willowby, one of its former guarding positions was very much near that area, in fact it happens to be its reset point. The reason they were there was probably because the three of you triggered security going down there, which… as I'm sure you know by now, the gargoyles are tied to," Severus said.

"Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that they've never done been this active before, not ever! They've kept watch, maybe, but they've never gotten involved except for a couple of isolated incidents, at least from what I've been able to discern from the information imparted to me by individuals attending here in the last forty years or so. Now, if someone sneezes in the wrong place, they react. And I know you wouldn't cause something like that to happen, you're not the nervous type," Hope reasoned.

"Thank you very much, Miss Willowby, but you are very much missing the point," Severus said sternly. "What the gargoyles are or aren't doing are not your concern. You are a student of this school and should be behaving as such, not fantasizing yourself as the school's personal investigator. All three of you are perfectly aware that students should report unusual occurrences to staff and then return to their normal activities. Your houses will be deducted fifty points each, with a notice on your houses' duty boards so they will know who to thank, and you'll sit detention with me tomorrow."

"I have the swimming sprint tomorrow," Leu said.

"You will report to me straight after swimming, with only a stop to change. And you will also attend a second detention, Mr. Murphy, since you were personally told to stay out of the gargoyle business," Severus snapped. "Now, go to your rooms and stay there for the rest of the evening. That goes double for you, Willowby. I'll be watching you carefully." Looking quite defiant, Hope turned and stormed out, followed by a more sullen Mike and Leu. Severus let out a long sigh.

"Sharp, isn't she?" Maurice commented, fetching a couple of waylaid blocks and putting them back in Quintin's pile.

"She is her father's daughter," Severus muttered. "Where did the gargoyle go after he left Dressage?"

"Back to his normal hideout," Maurice said unconcernedly. "Should I go check on him?"

"No, I doubt we'll have any more excitement this evening, now that events are over," Severus decided. "Keep an eye on things until the closing ceremonies. By then, I should be free to deal with him myself."

"A bit of a risk to wait, isn't it?" Maurice asked.

"No more than it has been thus far," Severus pointed out, straightening his desk. Maurice thought about it for a moment and then nodded, walking out the door.

Severus glanced at the clock on his desk, a bit impatient to get back down to the Potion's Lab.

"Bad tock-tock," Quintin said, and Severus glanced down to see Quintin staring at him, still clinging to one of his blocks.

"Now, don't start that again," Severus said sternly, picking him up and taking him into the nursery.


	32. The Heart and the Spirit

Chapter Thirty-Two

The Heart and the Spirit of the Hallowed Halls of Hogwarts

Llewellyn could hear the muffled shouts of the people on the docks as they came into the finish, pushing into a higher speed in hopes of catching up with the person he knew was a body-length in front of him. But even as he touched the dock, he knew he was still a bit short, and surfaced knowing he took second place while Diane triumphantly pulled herself up with a rare, satisfied smile.

"That was brill, Diane! You're very fast," Leu said enthusiastically, getting a nod in reply. "I don't suppose now you'd like study with me sometime?"

"Don't be a fool! I'd never associate myself with any male who could actually beat me," Diane snorted at him, then walked away to join some her Hufflepuff housemates who had also competed.

"I saw that coming," Colby sniggered, pulling himself on the dock.

"I thought you had given up on her, Leu," Kim said, handing him a towel.

"I have now," Leu promised fervently, waiting until she had finished adding the last of the scores of the board and following her off the docks. He glanced around searchingly, but Noah wasn't anywhere to be seen. He hadn't been around as much, but Leu had thought he would be there for his last swimming match. Then again, Noah certainly wasn't keen about hanging around the lake…

"Leu?" Jennifer called out, and Leu quickly saw her among the other swimmers, holding out his robe. "Well done! I rather think that's the fastest I've seen you swim, especially that close to the surface," she said.

"You're not disappointed that I came in second?" Leu asked seriously.

"Now, don't be silly. You did your best, and you did beat your fastest time, one can't ask for more than that," Jennifer said comfortingly. "Now, don't forget after the medal ceremony you need to change and go to detention. Cobb will then come fetch you before the Hurling finals, and after that I expect you'll be ready for bed. You do have another detention tomorrow, you know."

"I will be allowed to go to the Closing Ceremonies after that?" Leu asked.

"I expect so, although the final decision is really up to your father," Jennifer said. "But you had better not dally getting changed."

"I won't. But could you please tell Noah where I am if you see him?" Leu pleaded. "I haven't seen him much lately. I don't know what's the matter with him lately."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Leu. I saw him talking to Zack earlier, and I'm certain that Professor Ravenclaw is keeping an eye on things. I expect he simply has a lot on his mind right now, and I don't think it's personal. He just needs to think right now is all," Jennifer explained gently.

"Do you know what's bothering him, then?" Leu pressed. Jennifer thought about how to answer but then happened to hear Danyelle's voice announcing the official results.

"I should go back to my seat. Perhaps you should ask him instead," Jennifer suggested, walking back to the stands.

"If I see him," Leu murmured, unaware of how prophetic that would turn out to be.

The Ravenclaw houserooms were practically empty when Leu went upstairs, for everyone was still down at the games or studying in the library. Leu wished he could go to the library as well; especially when he got to his room and found no sign of Noah, other than a stack of tomes on his locked box, along with his finished homework. He then spent several hours scrubbing down the cistern for Mr. Carnegie, and then was allowed to go back to his rooms to study for an hour before Cobb arrived to take him to the game.

It proved to be a rough one; the game had to be stopped twice, for Jimmy had broken an arm, and Kim had sprained an ankle. How they ever managed to squeak a victory out of that, Leu wasn't sure. But as much as they felt pride at earning a gold, they were all quite tired afterwards, and all of them were glad that it was the last weekend of the games. Even still, as Leu looked around afterwards for his friend, there was no sign of Noah.

"Come on, we really need to be getting back or we'll both be in trouble," Kim said, nudging him towards the castle. "Aren't you knackered? I could sleep for a week."

"We'd miss the Closing Ceremonies, then," Leu pointed out, reluctantly following her. "I was just looking to see if Noah was here, that's all."

"It'll be easier to find him in your room," Kim said with exasperation. "No need to fight that crowd, especially when you'd get in trouble for it. Come on, let's not risk any more points. I'd rather not be in third place for the House Cup this year, and we will be if we take any more losses."

"He hasn't been in our room," Leu sighed, but followed her anyway. "I just don't know what's wrong with him lately. First he was avoiding Myrtle, and now he's avoiding everyone."

"Ghosts don't always make sense, Leu," Kim said with a sigh. "Noah may be more reasonable than some of them, but he's still a ghost. Even Professor Ravenclaw has moods sometimes. Be patient, he'll come out of it and show again."

"He does show for classes," Leu offered.

"Then I would think you have nothing to worry about," Kim said, and then paused on the stairs when she heard the sounds of a humming baby. "Oh, no. I think he's gotten out again, Leu."

In fact, Quintin was sitting at the top of the stairs with Rasputin's tail attempting to keep him from progressing any further, flipping and twitching every now and again to prevent him the baby from climbing over.

"This is getting to be a real habit, isn't it?" Leu admitted, going up first so that he could safely retrieve him.

"I swear, someone has found him outside of the Ravenclaw rooms nearly every day this week. They need a better password on that door," Kim complained.

"He seems to get past it even when they change it," Leu said.

Rasputin looked up at them as they carried Quintin down the hall, but after moving away from the stair, he decided to stay where he was in the hallway. It was more convenient to take a nap than to have to walk all the way out there again if Quintin decided to venture out later.

"I even heard that someone found him on the second floor by the Doorlift the other day," Kim said. "But Professor Ravenclaw took over at that point."

"He's the one who keeps updating me on what the password to Quintin's room is," Leu said as they walked over to the door. "Peas porridge pot, peas porridge a lot."

The door opened, and Leu slipped in and stuck Quintin in his crib. As Quintin began to protest, Leu hurried out, closing the door as quietly as possible.

"Bad tock-tock!" Quintin protested in frustration, crying.

Severus poked his head in from the study door.

"Now, why aren't you asleep?" Severus asked in annoyance. "Oh, Rasputin has wandered off, has he?" Severus stepped in long enough to wind up Quintin's cuddly lizard toy until the music box in it protested. Handing it to his pouting son, he went back into the study to get some more work done. Quintin plopped down on the bed in frustration, banging his toy against the crib repeatedly, the lizard growling as if in protest every time it hit the bars.

* * *

><p>Llewellyn's second detention ended up in the Potion's Lab, and despite the fact that every window was open it was very warm. The heat radiated out of the open door of his mother's office, so he was grateful that polishing all the beakers, bottles, and specimen doors was in the lab itself. Inside he could hear the voices of the Librarian talking to his parents, but he couldn't tell what they were talking about. Perhaps it was just as well, he thought. He was in enough trouble as it was.<p>

Jennifer came out of the room, using the excuse of checking on his progress to get away from the heat for a while. She brought out her wand and summoned up an ice fire in the fireplace, and Leu let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, you could have done it had you thought about it," Jennifer chided him.

"Not without permission," Leu reasoned, although it was true he hadn't thought about it. "Shouldn't you have one going in there?"

"We do, actually, not that it's doing much good at all," Jennifer said, taking off her vest and hanging it on the back of her chair.

"This is 'checking up'?" Severus inquired as he stepped in, glancing around the room critically, while Leu dutifully polished one of the dozens of beaker sets in front of him. "If you started with the cages, you'll have to do them over. They all have streaks."

"Yes sir," Leu said solemnly.

"Shall we break for lunch?" Jennifer asked hopefully.

"No, I'd rather get rest of them in the molds first, so we can test them all at once," Severus said. Jennifer let out a soft groan that made Severus squint at her.

"Really, haven't we already tested them enough?" she complained.

"No, actually, considering their purpose and who will end up wearing them, we should be completely sure that none of the pieces come out with flaws that might prove to be our undoing," Severus said firmly.

"Flawed?" Boulderdash snarled indignantly, coming out long enough to get some iced lemon water off the cart. "I've never forged a flawed piece in my life."

"When it comes to daggers, yes, but this isn't exactly in your normal expertise, is it?" Severus said.

"Fair enough," Boulderdash grunted. "Are you going to ask that paranoid items expert back over for that?"

"No, I'm sure our resident items expert can handle any problems that come up," Severus said.

"Thank you," Jennifer said with a nod.

"Good. I'm tired of being surrounded by gargoyles every time he's down here. I don't think they trust him," Boulderdash sneered.

"I'll deal with it in due time," Severus said calmly.

"Any particular reason that you're putting it off?" Boulderdash inquired.

"I have found in my experience that there is a time and place for paranoia," Severus said. Jennifer grinned in amusement at that. "Anyway, I still have the Closing Ceremonies to deal with, and we really need to finish these sets. "Impromptu break is over, Jennifer." Her expression changed to immediate disappointment.

"But it's so hot in there!" she whined.

"Can I help in any way?" Leu asked curiously, but Jennifer turned and pointed at the phials and bottles in response.

"Polish," she warned him.

"And don't forget those," Severus added, pointing at the specimen cages again before stepping back inside the office.

"Are we ever going to get the soot out of the carpets?" Jennifer complained after following him. "Not to mention that burned spot."

"I told you to roll them up," Boulderdash grunted, and as he went inside, it was the last conversation Leu heard until Jennifer came out to dismiss him.

* * *

><p>Jennifer was grateful when they were finally finished for the evening, taking a long, cool bath before getting ready for the ceremonies.<p>

"Severus, do you think my skin looks too red?" she asked when she finally came out. Severus sighed on her.

"It's just dry from the heat. Use a balm before we go," he advised.

"Yes, I think I'd better," Jennifer said, fetching one off her vanity before peeking into the nursery to find that Andrew had made himself quite comfortable in the chair. "You're not going to fall asleep, are you? He'll take advantage," she warned.

"Well, I will admit to being tired," Andrew yawned. "I am glad this is almost over."

"Over? I wouldn't call it that. I have to finish my study plans for OWLS in the morning," Jennifer said, going to the mirror to put on the moisturizer.

"Finish? I haven't even started on mine," Andrew admitted.

"Then perhaps that would be a better use of your time while you're watching Quintin," Severus suggested. "You can use my desk."

"Thanks, Father," Andrew said dryly.

"Come along, Severus, we really mustn't be late," Jennifer said, putting on the last of her jewelry.

"It isn't as if they're going to start without me," Severus snorted, and at that reminder, pulled a scroll off of his desk. "Shall we?"

"A rather big audience for you, isn't it?" Jennifer teased as they went through the Doorlift onto the main floor.

"No more than I speak to during our family gatherings," Severus said primly, getting a chuckle in response.

The Quidditch Pitch was indeed packed, despite the fact that all of the students were on the field, waiting to start their victory lap. It was too loud to even attempt any sort of conversation, so Jennifer simply smiled at Severus before parting ways at the teacher's box, while he continued on to the center where a large group of faculty members also gathered. A light was shone upon him and he silently gestured to magnify his voice.

"You didn't really think you were getting out of one of my speeches, did you?" he asked expressionlessly, the crowd chuckling in response. "Fortunately for you, I'm simply here for acknowledgements, then we'll get on with it. Although these games were all encompassing, I can hardly call them simply a formality. The fact of the matter is the subsequent acknowledgements refer to those who worked their asses off to achieve this, pardon the expression… or not, I really don't care.

"First, the organizing and planning committee; who handled scheduling, finance, guest judges, Pavilion and vendor organization: Madame Black, Professor Scribe, Librarian Boulderdash, and chaired by Deputy Headmaster Weasley," he said, a round of applause as the light focused on them and they waved.

"I would also like to thank the vendors, especially those who helped keep the peace between them and also helped manage inconveniences the vendors dealt with during the course of the games, such as Madame Rosemerta, Corey Willowby, Sirius Black, and Cynn Brogan over at the Pavilions," he continued. Near the half-disassembled tents, Rosemerta, Corey, and Sirius stopped to wave.

"Security, led by Professor Craw of course, had a great deal of assistance, namely Professor Andrew, Commander Bellamy, and Professor Ravenclaw," he added. Icarus, who had been hovering between the stands with his arms folded, blinked in surprise. Why did the Headmaster add his name to that list?

"I would also like to acknowledge at this time our extended security at the Pavilions, and to our head of that motley committee, Auror Harry Potter, who helped parents back to their tents when they had one too many cups of Brogan's tea," he said dryly, getting a laugh from the crowd. "I would also like to thank Minister Craw, who helped keep the peace just by having a tent over there.

"And last and most important, I need to acknowledge the two individuals who truly pulled this whole thing together; they refereed nearly every outdoors game and some of the indoors as well, organized all the assistants, reviewed all the rulings, made sure the schedules went off on time…or as close as humanly possible, and kept everything running as smoothly as one could have expected for such a large enterprise despite dragons and other such inconveniences: Madame Brittle and Commander Bellamy, the true Olympic heroes at these games." A deafening round of applause went up as the light went on the two hovering on brooms, and Severus noted that the students, who had been politely clapping before, were now enthusiastically hooting and hollering to make it the loudest of the acknowledgements.

"And now, before I return to my seats so that you can enjoy the Royal Broom Force demonstration, I would like to thank the parents, patrons, and spectators, for without your support, this whole thing would have been pointless. Thank you," Severus finished, another rowdy applause going up that lasted until he walked back to the box. By the time he reached the top, and entire regiment of Broom Force members had swooped in from seemingly nowhere to perform maneuvers as the appreciative crowd looked on.

Jennifer smiled as Severus sat down beside her with a sigh of pure exhaustion.

"Please tell me this isn't a long presentation tonight," Severus said.

"Only the demonstration, the parade of champions, and the fireworks, Severus," Jennifer assured him. "And then it's back to normal!"

"It will be months before we get everything 'back to normal' after this," Severus told her, and she smiled at him sympathetically and nodded in understanding.

He tried very hard not to think about it, attempting to concentrate instead on the impressive display of back-twisting shapes and close fly-bys that the soldiers were doing, some so daring that even the best Quidditch players he knew wouldn't even dare to attempt them. Suddenly, a broom swooped in front of him, and for a split second, he thought it was part of the demonstration, until he realized those large feet looked decidedly familiar.

"Andrew!" Jennifer called out in surprise. "What are you… where's my baby?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" Andrew said, and his parents both fumbled for their watches. "I only dozed off for a minute, and he was gone! I need a watch!"

Severus grabbed Jennifer's out of her hand before she could open it and handed it to him. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her to follow him out of the box, while Andrew sped away.

"Where is Quintin, Severus?" Jennifer shouted at him. Just then, there was a movement so strange that she stopped at the top of the stairs and looked around as dozens of gargoyles leapt off their perches from the tops of the stadium and took flight.

"Is that a part of the demonstration?" Jennifer heard someone ask in the crowd.

"Jennifer!" Severus called out, and she clambered down the stairs after him.

"Severus, Quintin's charm just flashed on my bracelet, and the gargoyles around the Pitch all just took off," she informed him anxiously, struggling to keep up.

"We'd be better off finding him first," Severus said, quickly orienting his compass to Quintin's name. "This way!" he shouted, running towards the front of the castle.

"Did that read Mortal Peril? Severus! Is he in 'Mortal Peril'?" Jennifer shrieked.

"It means to move, it doesn't mean to panic," Severus snapped at her. Pulling herself together, Jennifer dashed to catch up, pulling out her wand. All too unexpectedly, Severus pulled up short, causing Jennifer to stumble as she tried to stop too quickly in response. "There."

"Where, Severus?" Jennifer asked as she fetched her wand out of the mud and he pulled her to her feet.

Using the same spotlight spell they were using at the games, Severus illuminated the school clock, and Jennifer looked up with a gasp. There sat Quintin, dangling halfway out a small door in the clock face, peering down curiously.

Suddenly, there were wings in the sky, and out of them came the Man Gargoyle swooping down towards the clock. But before he could get to Quintin, Andrew flew in on his broom and the flash of a spell hit the gargoyle harmlessly.

Jennifer sprinted forward, intent on gapping the distance in front of her so that she was close enough to cast the Featherlight spell, painfully aware of the fierce battle going on but attempting to focus in on Quintin and praying that she would make it on time.

But in the scuffle, Andrew reached out for Quintin and the baby did the same, quickly losing his balance and tumbling out the window! In a flash, the gargoyle disengaged and scooped him up, and in the process shoved Andrew out of the way, knocking him off his broom. Almost instinctually, Andrew changed into his squirrel form, helplessly gliding down. Jennifer stopped short then, still holding her wand and watching the gargoyle, who in turn had been watching to see where Andrew went. Then, still holding Quintin securely under his arm, he hovered there as if talking to the baby, until finally flying up to the minute hand. The gargoyle then reached out and pushed it down by a minute. Jennifer groaned at that, and then glanced down to see Andrew scampering up, turning back into his normal form.

"That thing has got Quintin!" he panted.

"I know, but calm down. He won't hurt him," Jennifer assured him, catching her breath. Andrew looked blankly at her.

"What?"

Jennifer turned to see that Severus had caught up and was watching the gargoyle fly away thoughtfully.

"It was the school clock tower, Severus," Jennifer explained. "That's why Quintin kept complaining even when there wasn't a clock in the room. He must have been hearing the chimes the whole time!"

"That does explain a lot," Severus agreed.

"Never mind that!" Andrew snapped, angry at his mother's response. "The Man Gargoyle just flew off with Quintin!"

"Yes, well, there can be no doubt where he's going, can there be? My watch, Andrew," Severus said calmly, holding his hand out, but Andrew was still stunned.

"Do you mean to tell me that you know who has been controlling the gargoyles this whole time?" Andrew asked, handing over the watch in annoyance.

"Nearly all of it. Really, Andrew, you should know me better than that. Do you honestly think I would allow someone to control that much of castle security without intervention for an entire term?" Severus challenged him.

"Didn't you nearly?" Jennifer baited.

"Nonsense, Jennifer. Thanks to your brother, I've known what he was doing the entire time, and made certain it didn't ever get out of hand," Severus answered. "I suppose I'll have to deal with it myself now. Couldn't it have waited one more day?"

"Apparently not," Jennifer said, and then began walking towards the castle.

"Well? Since you obviously know what's going on, just who is it controlling the gargoyles?" Andrew asked, following his father angrily.

"The castle ghosts are," Severus explained. "One in particular, actually, although the rest of them also have had something to do with all of this, as well as the paintings. As for the ringleader, it is quite obvious who it is. Tell me, Andrew, as active as all of the ghosts have been all term, has there been any that you personally interact with that has been starkly absent this year?"

"Missing? Most of them have been chatting with me much more than normal," Andrew said as he thought about it. "Even the House Ghosts have been chattier than I remember them being. The Bloody Baron even asked me to a game of chess," he said, following them to the Doorlift. "Although… now that I look back… I can't remember the last time I've seen Janus."

"That is, of course, the answer," Severus said, opening a small panel that covered a small group of Doorlift buttons reserved for senior staff and pushed the lowest one.

"Janus is controlling them?" Andrew asked in surprise.

"Moreover, he created them," Severus explained, stepping into a dark, dank stone corridor. "Have you ever read his journals? You may find them fascinating. Not only does it include his obsession with finding the Cauldron once it was taken, it was also filled with his research. His specialty, you may recall, was studying homunculi… there was a time thousands of years ago that the obsession in alchemy was creating an artificial man, rather than perfecting the Philospher's Stone. They wanted to simulate humanity as closely as possible, using only the elements and living specimens to work off of. He wasn't a fan of using flesh models, after all that does have its moral complications as well as legal ones, even in those days. Instead, he focused on stone and clay homunculi…you may also think of as golems… which, of course, all the animated gargoyles and statues of Hogwarts actually are."

"That's also why Sashassin responds so well to us but gets defensive around everyone else, Andrew," Jennifer said. "The snake gargoyle was actually created for Salazar Slytherin, but Janus made her family loyal to protect himself. By the time he was creating gargoyles for the Chamber, he knew things weren't right in the castle, and wanted to make sure his creations weren't capable of turning against him, or turned against the school. In fact, I think that's why he decided to change the Headmaster's Study guard to become the castle's control gargoyle. Before that it had been his first successfully created gargoyle, which the one we found in the lake, and was the prototype for most of the others. But like all prototypes, it had some small faults which he was afraid could be exploited, so he set that gargoyle to guard the secret passage under the lake, looking so much like the others as far as features are concerned that no one but he knew which was the original."

"The current Headmaster's Study gargoyle happened to be his last and greatest masterpiece, really," Severus added, pausing at the pair of huge double doors. "It was designed with a morphing ability, to change its shape depending on its controller to a form that they identify with. In turn, it helps the gargoyle to anticipate its controller's wishes, helping it to make quicker security decisions, for example. That is why it was a Phoenix for Dumbledore, the Raven Dewhurst for Jennifer, and a Dragon for myself. But now it is the Man Gargoyle, to act as a vessel for its creator."

"But why does Janus need a vessel? No, better question… why did he usurp control of this gargoyles from you in the first place?" Andrew asked.

"That is what we are here to find out," Severus said, then let out an intense hiss. The doors creaked open, and the three of them stepped into the Chamber of Secrets.

Severus wasn't surprised at that point that the snake statues that lined the walls were more active than normal. They were all virtually identical to Sashassin, except larger and part of the wall structure. But their eyes moved and their mouths mimicked hisses as they walked between them and to the base of the giant Slytherin statue where the Man Gargoyle sat, still holding Quintin. Nearby, several gargoyles were in attendance, along with Maurice, standing next to the gargoyle and keeping Quintin entertained.

"What are you doing down here?" Andrew demanded in surprise.

"Supporting Craw interests, what else?" Maurice said simply, without bothering to look up.

"May I ask why you are holding my son hostage, Janus?" Severus inquired calmly.

"I was rescuing him, not kidnapping him," Janus answered defensively, his voice sounding strange and gravelly coming from the Man Gargoyle. "Andrew and your familiars were derelict in their duties. Had I not had a gargoyle watching the situation, Quintin very well may have met an early end."

"I would have saved him had you not been there," Andrew put in.

"He shouldn't have been put in the position of needing saving in the first place!" Janus shouted angrily. Andrew cringed.

"Quite true," Severus intervened, stepping forward. Quintin managed to wriggle free, walking over to greet his father. "He shouldn't have. As for the gargoyles, it is their job to help with security, you know that better than anyone, even if it hasn't ever been as obvious as this year."

"It had to be!" Janus shouted, standing and coming so close to Severus that Jennifer quickly pulled Quintin out of his path. "What are you doing, Snape? Trying to commit genocide? You are insane! Completely insane! You should never have allowed something like these games in the school after what happened last year! You have no right! No right at all to risk my family's lives simply to make money for this school! MY family! And I'll be damned after everything they've been through with and without you that I'll let them be snuffed out of existence because of your stupidity!" Janus shouted at him with such ferocity that Jennifer was more than a little concerned that Janus would lose his temper and strike Severus.

"I thought that might be it," Jennifer said quietly.

"Then why did you allow it?" he snapped. "You're the Craw, not him. You knew what was at stake!"

"Janus, it does affect his line as well. Besides, surely Icarus has been down here and informed you we've been working on a solution," Jennifer said.

In response, Icarus faded into view, to acknowledge his presence.

"In fact, they are nearly done now, Janus," he reported.

"Then why couldn't the games have waited?" Janus growled. "Why couldn't you have waited for this until it was safe?"

"Because there is no safe, Janus," Severus said. "Even were that spell never to have existed, there has been times when we were all wiped out by other means. We've come to the brink of losing everyone due to Ciardoth and that demon, not to mention the fact how often Slytherin nearly killed Thomas and Jennifer when they were the only two Craws left. Now, I understand your trepidation over how Erase can be used, I feel the same way. But we have a bigger enemy than Bagman and Equinox here. It is the enemy of fear. And while it's true that fear can sometimes protect us, it can also enslave us. Now, I can't allow that to happen to your family, can I?"

"Craws do not cower in corners. We turn and fight," Maurice agreed.

"We also don't put ourselves into dangerous situations needlessly," Janus argued, but he was no longer shouting.

"It was hardly needless, Janus," Jennifer said. "And not just because of the funding, either. Rather, what we did was a show of strength. It showed not only Bagman but everyone else that we will not be intimidated."

"She's right, Janus." They looked up to see the portraits of Caprica and Bedivere on the wall. It had been Bedivere who had spoken. "It was a chess move in and of itself, like moving the knight up into the field of danger. Perhaps it seemed too bold to some watching the game, but a player knows that you can't win a game on defense alone."

The Man Gargoyle stared almost accusingly at the paintings. Then he looked at Icarus and Maurice, standing next to each other. Lastly, he turned back to Severus.

"I can respect that point of view," Janus grunted reluctantly. "Be that as it may, the security measures that you and Jennifer had taken place this year, even considering Thomas and Harry's part in it, would have failed utterly had I not stepped in."

"Yes, it would have," Severus agreed. Jennifer blinked and stared at him in surprise. "We would have failed on many levels, in fact, had it not been all of the castle ghosts. We may have never known about the splinter group that still threatens us, or stop half of the mischief that Abraxus was causing us. We obviously failed at keeping Quintin contained, and I know it is not the only time he managed to wander off," he said, glancing at Maurice and Icarus who both nodded at that. "And worst of all, we would not have been able to catch Don Coventry in time to save Helena, nor would we have been able to save Llewellyn without Noah's intervention. The school owes its gratitude to you, and the other ghosts, as do I, for learning a personal lesson from it all."

"And what might that be?" Thomas asked.

"That this castle in and of itself is an entity," Severus said. "I have often listened to it, as Albus and Caprica taught me, but I do not think I truly heard what it was trying to tell me… or perhaps I simply didn't want to hear it. So many changes needed to be done since I became Headmaster… and quickly so… that all of the worries and frets of the ghosts and paintings were swept away time and again unless it became a crisis. And over that time, stress was building up, until last year, when I do believe, for lack of a better metaphor, that I ended up giving the castle a heart attack. You then became its mortality… for just as you were fighting to save your family line, the rest of the castle…ghosts and paintings alike, were fighting to save everything they hold dear. I can hear them now," Severus added, glancing around the room knowing full well from the electricity in the air that it wasn't as empty as it seemed. "And although changes must continue to this school to insure the best for future generations, those decisions must also respect the past and take into consideration the well being of _all_ of the inhabitants that reside in these hallowed halls."

"Hear hear!" Caprica called out approvingly. "That's the best news I've heard in decades!"

"I truly am sorry, Severus," Icarus added. "I would have spoken up sooner about the gargoyles…had it been any else, you see…"

"We'll discuss that matter later," Severus warned him, "on an administration level."

"I understand, Severus," Icarus said solemnly.

"I am simply glad that you finally learned how to play an effective game of chess, Severus," Bediviere volunteered, moving a piece on the board in his painting.

"As am I," Severus agreed with a nod. The Man Gargoyle grunted.

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you any longer if the other three are so intent on supporting you," he said, lumbering back several steps. At that point, the ghost of Janus Craw emerged out of the gargoyle, and the gargoyle began to crumble and change. First, it collapsed ont itself to form a large boulder, and then slowly formed back into the image of a dragon that Severus knew well.

"Return to your duties," Severus ordered and the gargoyle immediately responded, swooping over them to leave through the double doors.

"This isn't the end of this as far as I'm concerned," Janus warned, eyeing Severus skeptically. "I'm not as moved by fancy speeches as the other Sentinels are, you know. I expect you to actually prove what you say."

"I am prepared to do so," Severus said. "Just as I am prepared to promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to your lineage during my time on this Earth."

"Severus, you already promised that when you married me," Jennifer teased.

"Fair enough. Sorry, Janus, I answer to her on that issue. And her father if anything happens to her," Severus said.

"And me after that," Janus said.

"Oh, very well, and you after that," Severus said. "Now are you satisfied?"

"As I said before… we'll see," Janus said, fading out of view. Icarus, Caprica, and Bedivere let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness! I didn't think he would ever calm down!" Icarus said.

"You're telling me! I'm quite exhausted from it all," Caprica agreed with a yawn.

"Feel free to go back to sleep whenever you like," Severus said dryly.

"I shall do so, Severus, once Janus has been successfully reassured," Caprica decided.

"I will hold you to your word," Severus said dryly. "Andrew, I think it's time you took Quintin back upstairs. I trust you won't fall asleep again."

"Stars, no. Not after all of this, I won't," Andrew said, taking the sleepy Quintin from Jennifer.

"Jennifer, you had better return to the Closing Ceremonies. It is probably nearly done, and they will be looking for us to be there to congratulate," Severus said. "Maurice should go back with you. I'm sure your father will be looking for him."

"Aren't you coming back up?" Jennifer asked.

"Presently, yes. I have another student to escort back to his room first. Isn't that right, Noah?" Severus said, glancing around the room, squinting. Reluctantly, Noah materialized, a sheepish expression evident despite his bloaty face.

"Yes, Headmaster Snape," he said sullenly.

"Headmaster," Jennifer said, clearing her throat slightly. "I realize now, of course, that Maurice was probably reporting to you during this whole thing, but as Noah's advisor, I must point out that it would hardly be fair to punish him for being down here when Maurice was as well."

"I had no intentions of it, Professor, for the reasons I previously gave. He did play a part in all of this as well, after all. I merely wished to speak with him about something," Severus answered.

"Oh! All right, then. Come along, Maurice, let's find out if there are any fried eels left," Jennifer offered.

"You don't suppose there are?" Maurice asked hopefully, following her to the lift. Severus and Noah followed slowly behind the rest, giving the others a fair distance in front of him.

"I suppose you wonder why I'm down here?" Noah asked, tired of waiting for the Headmaster to say something.

"I would surmise you are down here because you began going to Janus for advice after you tracked him down for your History interview with a ghost assignment," Severus said calmly. "That isn't what I want to talk to you about so much as to get your opinion of the situation just now."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"Why do you believe that Janus did what he did?" Severus asked.

"Oh, well that part is obvious, isn't it? He was afraid of losing his family," Noah answered. "So he did whatever he could to prevent it."

"And why do you suppose that I made the decision that I did to allow the games?" Sevurus asked.

"You said it was so you wouldn't be enslaved by the fear," Noah said. Severus said.

"So who in your opinion was right?" Severus asked. Noah frowned at that.

"Well, you said that Janus was right in that the security wouldn't have been enough without him…"

"True, but I'm not asking you about what was said at this point. I am asking you your opinion," Severus reminded him, pausing at the Doorlift. Noah hovered there, thinking about it for a moment, then remembered that humans didn't take anywhere near as long as ghosts to think about things.

"That's a rather hard question," Noah said at last.

"Yes, it is. It is very hard," Severus said, pushing the button for the corridor outside of Ravenclaw.

"I'd like to think about it for a while before I answer," Noah decided.

"Very well, take as long as you like, but don't forget to show up for classes," Severus said. Noah nodded at that, and stepped through with him. Severus knew very well that it would be some weeks before he got his answer.


	33. An Olympic Ending

_/AN And so... what was to be a short interim sort of book to "flesh" out some ghost history and concepts ended up being the longest write of the series, thanks to my new dear daughter... ah well, at least now I will have a toddler to give me ideas for Quintin mischief. The most difficult part was keeping the entire book at the castle and Pavilions... basically, keeping it to the boundaries where ghosts and gargoyles could travel, so they always knew what was going on. Hogwarts may be big, but it still was a challenge and I learned a great deal from it. Either way, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed it anyway... I encourage you to read the book from the beginning, because it really is a quick read now that it's all together. Next installment, I'll try to set for late spring/early summer. I hope to see you again then! JC Writer_

Chapter Thirty-Three

An Olympic Ending

It was with endless toil and great surprise to many that the Slytherin colors were flying at the End of the Term Feast. In fact, the only ones who weren't surprised seemed to be Helena, Balt, and Maurice, the three who had worked hardest to make certain that Don's disgrace wouldn't affect the rest of the house. Ravenclaw had come in third behind Hufflepuff, while a last minute joke-gone-wrong by Chuck on the last day of classes had made Gryffindor slip to fourth, and it was obvious that his housemates were constantly reminding him of it at the other table.

"Well, I am sorry that we didn't end up doing better, but I am certainly glad this year is over!" Kim declared, sitting next to Leu. "After the constant games and the constant studying after, I rather think I'm going to skip getting a summer job this year and just sleep all summer holiday."

"Must be nice, some of us won't have that luxury, since we're graduating," Pimra said. "Still, it will great to look back on this year when we're out of school! We'll have plenty of stories to tell. Leu, can I ask you about something? Where did you get that earring? I don't remember you having it before!" Several of the other students leaned over to look as well, and Leu found himself suddenly the center of attention as they stared at the grey metal stud in his left ear. It had a strange hue in the light; almost as if the surface had an oily prismatic hue.

"It is new. Father wanted me to get it done before we went home for the holidays. In fact, we all have our ears pierced now, even Quintin. They're enchanted, you see, with a protection spell," Leu explained. Curiously, the other Ravenclaws looked up at the teacher's table. Sure enough, Andrew and the Headmaster both had a pierced ear now, Craw had a second piercing above her normal ones, and yes, even Quintin in her arms had one, and in fact was causing his mother to constantly pull his hand down to keep him from trying to touch it.

"Even the baby has one? That's going a bit overboard, isn't it?" Colby asked.

"Maybe, but it doesn't hurt to have a piece of mind, does it?" Leu asked.

"I can answer that," said Noah, hovering over to his spot at the table. "It never hurts to take precautions, as long as it doesn't interfere with anyone's life. Fear can be a positive thing sometimes, but when it interferes with the freedom of you or others around you, it's not good anymore. Then you have to turn and face it."

"You're right," Leu said, turning to Noah, who nodded with a smile. "Father told me something like that this morning when our ears were getting pierced."

"He is right, although it was important for me to figure it out for myself," Noah said. "You see, I've been struggling with something for a very long while now, and learning that helped me make a decision, you see," Noah explained.

"What sort of decision?" Leu asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. I asked her to meet me here today so that everyone knows," Noah said.

"Are you talking about me?"

Everyone at the table turned to see Moaning Myrtle, hanging on the arm of Professor Ravenclaw, who apparently had escorted her there.

"We are, Myrtle," Noah said. "But only because you're the guest of honor at the Ravenclaw table today. You're a Ravenclaw too, after all."

"Oh! But why would I be?" Myrtle asked.

"Because you deserve to be. You deserve a lot more than what happened to you. You deserved to be able to go to school without being bullied, and you deserved to be able to live a full life without being killed by the basilisk. But most of all, you deserve to know that you are special, and you are beautiful, and you also deserve love, especially by yourself. Oh, and one other thing," Noah said, reaching up and plucking the glasses off her face. They instantly dissipated, but didn't return. Instead, it left her blinking. "Ghosts don't need glasses, Myrtle," he said, then leaned over and kissed her. Some of the Ravenclaws gasped, some of the boys cringed, and others (mostly some of the younger girls) aw'ed in appreciation. But Myrtle seemed stunned and weepy.

"You do love me after all?" Myrtle said softly.

"Yes, but it's more important that you love you right now," Noah said. "You are beautiful, Myrtle. Just say it and mean it. That's all you have to do. Say, 'I am beautiful, and I love who I am.'"

"I…I am beautiful," Myrtle said unsurely. "And… well, I really do love who I am at the moment," she said more sincerely. Noah held her hands and kissed her again.

"You are beautiful," Noah said firmly.

"I am beautiful!" Myrtle said with a glowing smile. It was then that the Ravenclaws realized that it wasn't just her smile that was glowing. She was glowing. In fact, she was getting brighter by the second. That was when she realized it too.

"Oh no! I can't leave you now, Noah!" Myrtle suddenly panicked.

"It's your turn, not mine, Myrtle. You have to go… I can't come. Don't be afraid! It's the right thing to do," Noah said, still holding her hands.

"I… I'll miss you!" she blurted out, tearful.

"I'll miss you," Noah answered.

"We'll all miss you," Icarus added.

"Yes we will!" said the Fat Friar. He, Nick, and the Baron had hovered over from the other tables. "Run along, child! Your family will be waiting."

"My family! They care about me too!" Myrtle said. "I need to go! Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Myrtle. I hope we'll meet again someday," Noah said.

As Myrtle grew even brighter and began to float upwards, she turned and gave Noah one final smile before fading for the last time.

By then, nearly all the girls at the Ravenclaw table as well. In fact, a lot of the girls at the other tables, once they realized what was happening, had started to bawl as well.

"Goodbye, Myrtle," Paula said, handing Kim her handkerchief, solemn rather than sad. "Going to that bathroom will never be the same again." Both Jessica and Kim gave her a dirty look.

Up at the faculty table, several of the Professors had pulled out their handkerchiefs as well, with Sally and Danny professing something in the air was bothering their eyes, while Anna cried unabashedly and Jennifer shed tears of relief.

"He did it, Severus. I can't believe he finally did it!" she sniffled.

"I knew he would come around in the end," Severus replied. "Although I agree it won't be the same without her. Still, there is a bright side. She is safely with her family now… and we no longer will have to deal with floods in the corridors."

"Really, Severus! At a time like this!" Jennifer began but had to quiet down when he stood up to address the school.

"First, before I make my address… for the benefit of those of you who aren't certain what just occurred… Myrtle Morning has successfully ascended and no longer resides at Hogwarts, thanks to the brave efforts of one student who helped her do so. Therefore, I award fifty points to Noah Dolan, which moves Ravenclaw up to second place," he said. There was a hearty round of applause, especially from Slytherin, who were simply relieved to know it wasn't enough to oust them from first.

"Next, I would like to commend all of your efforts. Yes, it's true, we had perhaps a less of a trial in this year as we did the Year of the Dastardly School Tomes, as the now-graduating students in seventh year had to endure, or the trials that many of your parents had to go through during the last year of Ciardoth. Even so, every student had to go above and beyond their normal curriculum to make this year a success, and a success it was. It will be many a year before I have to worry about where the money for castle improvements will be coming from, and although I would have liked to see OWLS and NEWT scores a tad higher than what they were, I reluctantly admit that you have all gained experience that you would not have necessarily gained from the classroom. But don't be surprised if your reviews are a bit longer and more detailed in content when you return next term," Severus added. There were several chuckles at that, for many of the students had known that one was coming. "I would also like to praise my staff… every one of which had double duties this year as well… although I do have one complaint, and that is with Wing Commander Bellamy. Commander Bellamy went so far above and beyond the call of duty, that he has been offered a position at the West of White Hall Academy, and therefore will be leaving us. We wish him well." A cheer went up at that, although Severus wasn't sure how much of it was congratulations and how much of it were students realizing that they wouldn't have to run a mile before their Defense classes next year.

"And last but not least, I would like to thank the unseen security of this institution; the ghosts and paintings for their contributions this year, in the years past, and the years going forward. They are not simply a part of the setting. They are the heart and soul of this place…our school…our home…Hogwarts Castle. May all of us here always feel a part of it," Severus finished, getting a standing ovation. The ghosts in the hall zoomed around, haunting and yet happy, except for Icarus, who made his way to his seat so that they all could start eating.

"I don't suppose Noah could have earned a few more points from that?" Jennifer inquired. She had been waiting to the beginning to voice that complaint.

"Slytherin has been through more this year," Severus said simply, and Jennifer nodded, giving him a smile in understanding.

"I can't believe you're leaving already, Ace," Danny said. "Although I am glad you managed to get the Academy post. I know how much you wanted it."

"Eric kept going on about how impressed he was with Ace's performance this year, especially when facing off that dragon," Hermione said. "Frankly I'm not a bit surprised. Besides, I think Severus already has an idea in mind for next year's Defense teacher."

"Yes, but I haven't discussed it with him yet, so don't bring it up, Hermione," Severus frowned at her.

"Now she's got us all curious," Andrew said.

"Let's just celebrate Bellamy's hard work and new post, and settle down to a nice quiet dinner, shall we? I myself would like to concentrate on my upcoming summer holiday, especially since I only have two weeks of it. I rather think I could use a break after all of the excitement. I haven't left the castle all year," Severus argued.

"Goodness! Neither have I!" Jennifer said in realization. "All the sudden, I think I have cabin fever. Where shall we go, Severus?"

"Well, first we'll have to visit your father's new home, I think, then after that…"

"Father has a new home?" Jennifer interrupted excitedly.

Just then the doors to the Great Hall flung open, and the moment Severus looked over, his thoughts of any sort of vacation blew out of his mind.

A tall, thin figure stood in the doorway with his arms extended as if he had cast a spell, with skin so pale that he almost seemed to emanate his own light. His then opened his mouth to speak, but what came out of it was so strange and foreign that most in the room thought they heard the chime of loud bells rather than an actual voice. With that, the figure crumbled to the floor.

Severus leapt to his feet and jumped up on the table, trampling his dinner in his effort to get over it and dashing as fast as he could to the fallen figure, wrapping his arms around the man protectively and tenderly as if greeting a long lost brother. Jennifer slid out of her chair and dove under the table, rushing over to join them with a serious, almost frightened look on her face while everyone else in the hall stood and stared in stunned silence at what they were witnessing, for never had any of them seen the Headmaster act in such a way before towards anyone.

Severus couldn't have cared less. He was too concerned over his friend and to hell with how it looked. He pulled back the man's pale golden hair and checked his pulse.

"Severus, how is he?" Jennifer asked frantically.

"I think he has only fainted. Water, Jennifer," Severus said, and Jennifer grabbed a pitcher and glass off the nearest table.

"Do you suppose it's good enough?" Jennifer asked worriedly, handing it to him.

"It's safer than a potion," Severus said, gently holding him up and putting the cup to the Danaan's lips. "Bael? It is Severus, do you hear me?" he asked in Elvish.

"Severus…" he whispered back. "I have found you at last…"

"Drink," Severus coaxed, but after only a sip, Bael batted it away. "What are you doing here, my friend?"

"The Gardener. It's the Gardener…he has been taken," Bael murmured.

"Taken? Merlin?" Jennifer repeated in fear.

"A prisoner of the demons! Our war with them is nearly lost," he explained.

Jennifer and Severus glanced at one another worriedly, but then turned their attention to getting Bael to the hospital wing. It would be some time before they could rouse him long enough to hear his story.

The End

_See you next time: Jennifer Craw and the Servant of Danaan._


End file.
